MP dares cops to lock him up
Gunmen go on rampage in Ackee Walk
At least three persons were shot and killed last night, and others injured during a shooting in the Ackee Walk community, in the vicinity of Queensborough Gardens, St Andrew.
As the news of the incident broke,
The police in Old Harbour, St Catherine, came in for stinging criticism in Parliament yesterday with one lawmaker saying that the only thing they do “effectively is to shut down birthday parties and set-ups”.
Everald Warmington, the member of Parliament for South West St Catherine, in which Old Harbour falls, said that major crimes increased in the sub-division last year, when compared to 2018. He said that ineffective leadership from the police should be blamed for the spike.
Some 25 murders were recorded in Old Harbour in 2018, and this climbed to 35 in 2019, Warmington said.
He also claimed that shootings, robberies, rapes and other major crimes increased in 2019, when compared to the previous year.
The long-time MP said that the police appear to have their priorities all mixed up.
FIND THE GANGSTERS
“I have been to two set-ups recently and the police arrive at 10:15 p.m. to lock down the set-ups, and I made it clear that the set-up naah lock down, deh have to lock me up first,” the fiesty politician said.
“The leadership in that area, we need to look at them … They need to go out there to curb crime, to find the gangsters and leave the parties and set-ups alone, particularly the set-ups where people are grieving,” Warmington said.
The division has been under a state of public emergency since last September. Warmington, however, feels the strategy being used against criminals is ineffective.
“I believe we need go back to the days when we have curfews and you cordon off areas. You shut it down from 6 to 6 for an entire week. You go inside there and you search the area, then you will find the guns, you will find those who are making the trouble. Having roadblocks and checkpoints, to me, it’s not effective because the criminals know where the checkpoints are,” Warmington said.
THE STAR reached out to Senior Superintendent Clive Blair, head of the St Catherine South police in which Old Harbour falls.
When asked about Warmington’s comments he said “I will not respond to that.”