ST JAMES, Jamaica (JIS) — Acting Commissioner of Police (ACP), Novelette Grant, says the security forces have arrested 135 persons in connection with the seizure of 183 illegal firearms since the start of the year.

Addressing a community forum on violence at the Sandals Royal, Montego Bay, recently,  the Acting Commissioner argued that in any other space, “that should be having an impact, but there are still people out there who are bent on selling youth ammunition”.

 “When you go to a crime scene and you see 70-odd spent shells, you have to ask the question as to where are they getting them from,” the ACP said.

She said there are persons hell-bent on helping to fuel the violence and undermine the society.

“The question for community members is ‘exactly who benefits from this?’. Certainly not you, certainly not the men and women who have to bury their children, bury their spouses, bury their family members. And you certainly are hurting yourselves when you collude with people who are bent on ruining Jamaica for us. So, stand up for your community, stand up for your own lives,” she urged.

ACP Grant noted that there are plans to beef up the police presence in western Jamaica, adding that the logistics are being worked out to bring reinforcement from outside.

 “It requires property and physical space to be able to do that, because you have to house the police,” she said.

 The Acting Commissioner said in the meantime, the police will continue to work with communities to deal with crime.

“We will continue to make our presence felt and seen on the road. We just want to encourage community members not to support criminality,” she said.