By Glenroy Sinclair and Adrian Frater, Staff ReportersSPANISH TOWN: Mayor Dr. Raymoth Notice is calling for a military intervention in the crime-ridden town, where at least 12 persons were murdered in four days.
"I have written to the National Security Minister requesting that the Government immediately deploy the army in the communities where the killings are taking place," the Mayor told The Gleaner yesterday.
He said that the bloodletting that has scarred Spanish Town since February needs to stop now. The renewed fighting began shortly after the burial of Oliver 'Bubba' Smith, the reported leader of the 'One Order' gang. He was killed last month on Festival Avenue, off Whitehall Avenue, St. Andrew.
TOWNSHIP SECURE
Pointing to the command post at the bus park, Dr. Notice said the township is already secure and the lawmen must now turn their attention to the hotbed of the Old Capital.
"We are having too many talks, meetings and committees. It is action time now, because there is a silent and deadly war going on. Based on my information, some of these gunmen are suicidal," said Dr. Notice who also called on the government to endorse the St. Catherine Parish Council gun amnesty programme.
BLAIR BROKERS PEACE
In the meantime, Bishop Herro Blair, chairman of the Peace Management Initiative (PMI), intervened on the weekend to broker a peace pact between members of the One Order and Clansman gangs.
"The army is not the answer to the problem, but the security forces are doing what they can do. This is a national issue," said Bishop Blair, who was scheduled to meet with the leadership of the Clansman gang yesterday.
On Saturday, he visited the One Order enclave of Tawes Pen and spoke with some of the people.
Commenting on a possible solution to the problem, Bishop Blair said, "We also have to provide employment. We cannot continue to give them (things), we have to start teaching them to fish," said Bishop Blair.
It was business as usual in the commercial district of Spanish Town, as members of the security forces were strategically deployed at various points where it is believed problems are likely to start.
Veteran crime-fighters Senior Superintendents Hector White and Donald Pusey led raids and cordon-and-searches in the adjoining communities.
The police weekly crime statistics for last week indicated that 47 persons were murdered in separate incidents islandwide. This is almost seven persons killed per day. The report further stated that 33 of the victims were killed by the gun.
