Cops put on high alert

BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com

Monday, February 13, 2012

THE Police High Command yesterday raised the threat level for members of the security forces to extreme, warning cops who live or work in Spanish Town and surrounding areas to be more alert than ever.

The late afternoon release warned "all members who live or work in the St Catherine North Division, especially Spanish Town and its environs, including Thompson Pen Road, Ellerslie Pen, St John's Road, Shelter Rock, March Pen Road, Jones Avenue, Tawes Pen, Lakes Pen, De la Vega City and Dempshire Pen, that based on the latest assessment by the National Intelligence Bureau, the threat level is now being upgraded to EXTREME".

The warning followed a series of violent incidents last week, including the shooting death of top Klansman gang member Renard 'Roderick' Harrison during a police operation in Cherry Gardens.

It also followed the murders of his common-law wife and her mother on the weekend.

Since that shooting, several threats have been made against members of the police force by criminals aligned to gangs in the Spanish Town area.

The alerts came after a double murder in Spanish Town over the weekend where 30-year-old Indra Gokul, believed to be Harrison's common-law wife, and her 50-year-old mother, Sonia Baccas, were shot and killed by gunmen.

Police report that the two women were at home with friends holding a vigil for Harrison around 10:00 pm when they were attacked.

"They were talking and putting things together for the vigil when gunshots were heard," said one man, who requested anonymity.

Residents said when they went to investigate, the mother and her daughter were found lying in a pool of blood. Others who were in the house had fled.