KINGSTON, Jamaica - The police in sections of the nation’s capital have stepped up their fight against criminals who have been seeking to regroup in sections of Western Kingston

Head of the West Kingston Police, Senior Superintendent Terrence Bent says that as part of the strategy to reduce the murder rate, the police in some of the volatile areas of downtown Kingston have been targeting so-called gang leaders and their cronies.

“What has happened is that withn the last two weeks we have decided to conduct joint operations in some areas as a means of strengthening our control of those areas, so you will see increased activity from the security forces in those areas”

He added that the police are keeping a close watch on former cronies of convicted drug kingpin Christopher "Dudus" Coke to ensure that they do not resume their criminal activities in the area.

“We haven’t seen any specific new faces but we have some persons that we have been targeting for a number of months….I won’t call any names but we are monitoring them in terms of what they do so that they won’t resume activities in any area” said Bent.

Last week the West Kingston Police issued the names of thirteen men listed as persons of interest.

Bent said five of the 13 have turned themselves in to the police.