Running for fun in Denham Town’s ZOSO
Members of the Jamaica Defence Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force on Little King Street inside the zone of special operations in Denham Town. THE POLICE have announced that several roads will be closed in west Kingston today to facilitate the staging of the zone of special operations (ZOSO) Denham Town Fun Run.
The joint force operating in the ZOSO in Denham Town in collaboration with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund and other partnering entities will be hosting the fun run, which begins at 3 p.m.
The fun run is a 3K road race with the additional activities to include a kiddies’ corner, vibes corners and a mini concert.
According to the police, the run is aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles, unity among residents, greater cooperation and better relationship between members of the security forces and residents.
IF WILLIAM J.C. Hutchinson has his way, persons convicted of farm theft will be made pay dearly for their crime. Hutchinson, the minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, last Friday offered some insight into a plan being reviewed as a practical measure to discourage praedial larceny.
If implemented, the plan would see the thieves repaying farmers full value of their stolen property, in addition to serving prison time.
“The praedial thief, once caught and convicted in a parish court will, in addition to his punishment, be ordered to make restitution in amounts to compensate for the loss the farmer sustained,” Hutchinson told a stakeholders consultation conference hosted by the Jamaica Dairy Development Board.
“That means, we intend to look at, if you lose an animal, not only what the court is going to charge that thief but he must pay you back for the animal that he has stolen,” said Hutchinson during a function at the Medallion Hall Hotel in St Andrew.
He argued that more drastic action was deemed necessary in light of the devastating impact of thieves who prey on agriculture, with the annual total loss suffered by Jamaican farmers now conservatively estimated to be in excess of $6 billion each year.
This is despite a number of initiatives over the years, including the introduction of a receipt book system which makes it mandatory for farmers to supply their customers with receipts detailing the volume and value of crops or livestock sold.
MAJOR DISINCENTIVE
A 2010, survey titled ‘Analysis of the State of Praedial Larceny in member states of CARICOM’ carried out among regional stakeholders identified praedial larceny as the single most discouraging aspect of agriculture, a major disincentive to investment in the sector and a threat to livelihoods in farming and fishing across the region. Conservative estimates then calculated the loss from theft of crops, livestock, and fresh and marine fish in the region of US$321 million annually or an estimated 17.9 per cent of regional agriculture output. Maxine Brown, livestock specialist with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority, the agency tasked with providing extension services to farmers, told The Sunday Gleaner that efforts to reenergise the agriculture sector were being undermined by this growing criminal scourge. “Thieves are not even stealing with a conscience because they are coming and taking Parents Milton and Angel Praba Maxwell with their baby who was snatched from the University Hospital of the West Indies. everything that you have, if it’s possible. So that kind of thing makes it difficult to attract investors,” said Brown. Meanwhile, the regional analysis also highlighted two other potentially devastating fallouts from the runaway theft of livestock and food crops, which are often overlooked. “This (praedial larceny) does not take into account the future loss to agriculture productivity as high-quality genetic breeds of livestock and crop varieties are stolen from breeding stations and agriculture research facilities to be sold as food. “Also not taken into consideration in this analysis are the potential public-health consequences and subsequent industry consequences when uncertified crops or livestock meats are integrated into the domestic food chain,” the analysis showed. Now Hutchinson is determined that more drastic action is needed to send a serious message to persons who continue to undermine the national effort to achieve food security and nutrition. “It’s very controversial out there but it is one that I strongly believe in, and we are moving to see how we can get this going,” he warned. In the first seven months of this year, the police Praedial Larceny Prevention Unit reported that 83 persons were arrested for farm theft, compared to 23 for the corresponding period in the year 2016. Thirty-three stolen animals were recovered, compared to 31 for the corresponding period in 2016. Additionally, 67 farm security assessments were conducted, compared to 21 for the corresponding period. Farm security assessments are done with a view to identify trends and analysis that can help to safeguard investments and offer workable solutions to farmers to protect life and property.
Judge accepts that all was not well when she snatched the child from University hospital
JUSTICE MARTIN Gayle last Friday extended mercy to Lorna Williamson, the woman accused of stealing a newborn from the University Hospital of the West Indies last December.
Williams was sentenced to three years probation with psychiatric counselling after Gayle described his position as one akin to the biblical King Solomon, who had to decide custody of a baby between two alleged mothers.
“The first good thing is that you have pleaded guilty and have not wasted the court’s time. Once a person pleads guilty it is an expression of remorse,” said Gayle.
“The community is also begging for you ... It is because of this illness and loss of child why this has come down on you,” added Gayle, as he read statements from a social enquiry report, before handing down his sentence.
The court was told that Williams, shortly after losing a pregnancy, went to the hospital and took up the child. Sometime later the baby was found at her workplace.
The baby girl was sleeping in a cot adjacent to her mother’s bed on a ward at the hospital when she was snatched.
Williams, who had pleaded guilty in October as part of the second Sentence Reduction Day, appeared at the Home Circuit Court last Friday wearing a green suit and an expression of remorse on her face as defence attorney Carol DaCosta outlined her history of domestic abuse and emotional trauma.
“She suffered serious shock to the extent where she lost sight of the circumstances and surroundings. She really saw it as a means of giving love. She is one person I think I can safely say deserves all the mercy we can give,” said DaCosta.
“She was abused physically and dragged from her house and thrown out ... she is very remorseful, and has no criminal records,” continued DaCosta, as a sombre Williams looked on in silence from the dock.
FORGIVEN
The parents of the child, Milton Maxwell and his wife Angel Praba, had previously indicated that they had forgiven Williams, having been reunited with their child.
“I have never seen her, but she made a mistake and I assume she is going through some psychological issue. She took our baby, but we got her back in good condition, so that’s all we are happy about. We don’t want to punish her any further,” the father had told The Sunday Gleaner.
“She took the baby, but when we examined her, she was fed, she (the woman) changed her clothes, and overall, she took care of her. So, at least she kept the baby in good condition. We have forgiven her and we don’t want to carry the issue any further. We just want to focus on our children,” he added.
Williams was among 22 accused persons who pleaded guilty to crimes in the Home Circuit Court in October.
In the meantime, Kino Gilzene, the man who allegedly stabbed and killed a prostitute after sex in 2014, was sentenced to seven years in prison after he was found to have a mental condition.
Gilzene confessed to stabbing the woman five times after threatening and strangling her. The incident occurred after the two had sex at his home.