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Jamaica adopts new police strategy to tackle crime upsurge

Xinhua, January 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) announced on Wednesday that a new police strategy would be adopted to tackle the upsurge in murders and other serious crimes from the start of the year.

The renewed police strategy will focus on enforcing anti-gang legislation and combating criminal gangs. One of the critical moves is to establish the Guns-for-Trade Task Force.

Jamaica, whose population is under three million, recorded 1,005 murders in 2014, while the previous year recorded 1,200 murders.

Despite the 16 percent decline in murders, the country's police commissioner Carl Williams admitted security conditions across the island is hardly satisfactory, adding that an upsurge in murders has been observed since the start of this year.

"There is much to do in 2015 because we are barely a week into the year and we have an upsurge (in crime) that has already claimed 24 victims," Williams told a press conference on Wednesday.

It is revealed at the press conference that the JCF has identified 21 syndicates who are involved in the guns-for-drugs trade, more than 400 investigations are conducted and some 500 gang members are expected to be arrested.

Williams believes a special task force will help end the arms race among those gangs. He promised to use all scientific techniques and investigative skills to convict the most feared criminals.

Meanwhile, the commissioner urged Jamaican nationals to be better involved in safeguarding the country, adding that the effort of the JCF is endorsed by the Jamaica Defense Force. Endi