Bookmark Jamaica-Gleaner.com
Go-Jamaica Gleaner Classifieds Discover Jamaica Youth Link Jamaica
Business Directory Go Shopping inns of jamaica Local Communities

Home
Lead Stories
News
Business
Sport
Commentary
Letters
Entertainment
Social
Caribbean
International
The Star
E-Financial Gleaner
Overseas News
The Voice
Communities
Hospitality Jamaica
Google
Web
Jamaica- gleaner.com

Archives
1998 - Now (HTML)
1834 - Now (PDF)
Services
Find a Jamaican
Library
Live Radio
Weather
Subscriptions
News by E-mail
Newsletter
Print Subscriptions
Interactive
Chat
Dating & Love
Free Email
Guestbook
ScreenSavers
Submit a Letter
WebCam
Weekly Poll
About Us
Advertising
Gleaner Company
Contact Us
Other News
Stabroek News

We are winning the fight against crime - Phillips
published: Friday | August 25, 2006

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer


Dr. Peter Phillips (centre), Minister of National Security, addresses journalists during a press briefing yesterday at his Old Hope Road, St. Andrew, office while Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas (foreground) and Chief of Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, look on. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

AFTER A decade of record murder rates and runaway crime, National Security Minister Dr. Peter Phillips believes Jamaica's security forces are finally winning the fight against the country's criminals.

He says a 25 per cent decline in serious crimes in the first eight months of this year is proof of this.

"As I have said before, the figures are moving in the right direction. I would want to speak about turning the corner when we have seen two or three years of the same level of reduction," Dr. Phillips told journalists yesterday, even while lamenting growing levels of carnal abuse that run counter to the national trend in crime statistics.

The National Security Minister said Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) statistics showed that the incidence of adults, particularly males, having sexual relations with minors has increased by 31 per cent this year.

A record 1,671 persons were murdered in Jamaica in 2005. At the end of July this year, the police reported 756 murders, 254 less than the same period last year.

Kingfish praised

Dr. Phillips credited the drop in crime to intelligence-driven work by the JCF, particularly its élite Operation Kingfish unit. He noted that Kingfish has had a significant impact since it was established in late 2004.

In recent weeks, the unit has made big drug busts and arrested several persons in St. Catherine and Clarendon.

Dr. Phillips reported major reductions in homicides and shootings in traditional trouble spots such as the St. Andrew South and St. Catherine North Police Divisions, but noted that the security forces continued to have problems in some areas.

Using figures from the JCF, Dr. Phillips said the St. Andrew South Police Division has seen a 54 per cent fall in murders since May, and a 47 per cent decline in shootings.

This area includes some of the Kingston Metropolitan Area's most violent communities, including Greenwich Town, Payne Land and Olympic Gardens.

There has been a 38 per cent and 25 per cent decline in murders and shootings, respectively, in the St. Catherine North Police Division which counts Spanish Town as its most violent area.

Increase in Kingston Central

All Corporate Area police divisions, except Kingston Central, have experienced a reduction in major crime. Dr. Phillips said crime there had increased by 31 per cent.

The rural area continues to be a mixed bag, with St. Elizabeth and Portland recording 55 per cent and 43 per cent drops, respectively, and St. James, Manchester and St. Thomas seeing "marginal increases" in crime.

St. Ann (29 per cent), Westmoreland (27 per cent) and Clarendon (22 per cent) have each experienced a surge in major crimes.

The National Security Minister reiterated the well-documented notion that criminals from the Corporate Area have moved their operations to these parishes, hence a jump in crime.

He said the legislation of key bills in parliament this year will give the security forces the advantage over crime bosses.

More Lead Stories



Print this Page

Letters to the Editor

Most Popular Stories





© Copyright 1997-2006 Gleaner Company Ltd.
Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Letters to the Editor | Suggestions | Add our RSS feed
Home - Jamaica Gleaner