Full assault on criminals out west – ACP Clarke
WESTERN BUREAU: THE POLICE’S bid to tame lawlessness in the Area One police division, which has seen more than 100 murders since the start of the year, is now getting significant new resources, thanks to a joint ‘police and military surge,’ which was recently ordered by Police Commissioner George Quallo in response to a spate of killings.
“The commissioner has instructed that a joint police and military surge be conducted, effective June 16, 2017. The surge was ordered on the basis of an increase in violence islandwide and western parishes in particular,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Warren Clarke, the commanding officer of Area One, which includes Hanover, Westmoreland, St James, and Trelawny.
Clarke said the police have done an evaluation of the crime situation and have identified a number of causative factors, including the infamous lottery scam, which has become the major source of funding criminal gangs, in terms of buying guns and the vehicles that keep them mobile.
“The violence in the west is primarily driven by inter-gang and family conflicts, reprisals and counter-reprisals. Lottery scamming spoils remain a motive in some feuds.”
RESULTS-DRIVEN APPROACH
According to Clarke, the newest initiative, which is now in full swing, is results-driven and is taking a multipronged approach, which is geared towards disrupting criminal activities and arresting perpetrators of violence.
“The Area One Command concept of operations involves three levels of policing – (a) routine, (b) control of critical corridors or routes, and (c) increased activities targeting gang organisation, aimed at arresting wanted persons (including multiple murderers) and other actors of violence; recovery of arms; and returning impacted communities to normality,” said Clarke. “There is a focus on public spaces, townships and known hotspots. Additional personnel have been redeployed from support areas to boost the initiative. We are confident the measures will yield positive results.”