Police blame politics for upsurge in St Andrew South murders
Police are blaming political antagonism for a sudden rise in murders in the St Andrew South division last month.
Twenty-four murders were committed in the division during September, a 33 per cent jump when compared to the 18 persons killed over the corresponding period last year, while seven persons were killed in the division over the first six days of October.
According to Deputy Superintendent Oswald Eyre, who is the head of police operations in the division, the worrying trend is a result of political fever which is rising in some communities.
“Since the political silly season came in, we have noticed an alarming rise in murders,” Eyre said. “We suspect that battles between supporters of opposing parties and internal battles between supporters of the same party are going on in some communities.”
The division has a history of high murders, but over the past two years the number of homicides has steadily declined, the result of a number of new and revamped policing strategies, Eyre said.
One hundred and nine persons have been killed in the division since the start of this year, compared to 209 over the same period in 2005.
DSP Eyre said AK47 spent shells were found at the last 17 murder scenes in the division. He said police intelligence suggests that a cache of .762 ammunition, the type used in AK 47 rifles, had landed in the wrong hands, easing a shortage earlier in the year.
“Between January and August, there were no murders committed with these guns,” Eyre explained. “We have, however, been experiencing a rise in the number of AK47 spent shells we recover at crime scenes in recent times.”
He pointed to the killing of 26 year-old Ricardo Fuller, who was shot as he walked along Whitfield Avenue two Saturdays ago.
“We collected 19 AK47 shells (at the murder scene). It doesn’t look like they are short on ammunition,” DSP Eyre said.
The police say a man known as Sheldon Johnson is wanted in connection with Fuller’s killing.
Detectives also say an internal war between political factions aligned to the ruling People’s National Party in Whitfield Town has claimed over 20 lives since last year.
Gangs known as the ‘Clubs’ and ‘Spades’ are said to be in a constant feud. Police say the infighting festered after the killing of Herman ‘Buffy’ Johnson, popular area don for the Spades gang, in July last year.
They say they are also looking for Oral Williams, also called ‘Lando’ or ‘Barry’ allegedly from the Clubs gang, in connection with a number of murders and shootings in the Whitfield Town area.
Also on the police’s wanted list in St Andrew South is Eric Dennis Jnr, also called ‘Mannie’, ‘Chris’ or ‘Bleach’. Dennis, police say, is wanted for murder, four counts of shooting with intent, arson and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
DSP Eyre described Dennis as very dangerous.
“He is a thorn in Maverly’s side. He and his cronies have no mercy. They do not stay in the area but come in and do their evil and leave again, disrupting the lives of decent people,” Eyre said.
The police are also trying to apprehend Sheldon Young, also called ‘Ramocan’, of Greenidge Town, who is wanted for multiple homicides committed in that community.
