OCHO RIOS, St Ann – Chairman of the Jamaica Police Federation Corporal Raymond Wilson has called on elected political representatives to go in the communities to help unite the people, as one of the ways to cut the island’s high crime rate.

“I believe our elected representatives need now to come out of their dark corners. come out of the quiet mode not only to speak, but to go into these communities just as when they are going there to seek votes, whether on the JLP side or the PNP side.,” he said.

Wilson, who was speaking with the Observer on Saturday following Friday night’s injury of a woman corporal in an attempted robbery, said the uniting of communities would be an effective way in helping to decrease crimes.

The woman cop, Detective Corporal Melissa Francis, of the Ocho Rios Police Station, was shot and injured during an attempted robbery as she walked home from work to the nearby community of Buckfield.

The would-be robber was later shot and killed by the Ocho Rios police.

“It is a very sad situation for our rank-and-file members. Since the start of the year, there have been quite a number of attacks on our members; three have died so far. We are thanking God tonight that this attack has not resulted in the death of this police woman; in fact, we are happy to learn that her condition, while considered serious, is not life-threatening at this time,” said Wilson, who had detoured from his trip to Trelawny for the funeral service of slain police Hewan Genus to visit Francis at hospital.

In the meantime, Wilson has urged the police “not to surrender, but to continue to bring the fight to the criminals”.

According to reports, Francis had left work and was walking with a female companion on the roadway in the Buckfield community when a man held them up and demanded Francis’ handbag.

The diminutive Francis, the police reported, attempted to reach for her service revolver in her handbag, but was overpowered by her attacker and was shot in her left side during the process.

The man, the police reported, fired several other shots at the cop who fortunately was not hit again.

There was no official report regarding the other woman, however, a source in the community said she escaped unhurt.

The man then fled the scene, but was later apprehended in the community. “Because of quick action by the police a man was shot and a firearm recovered,” Senior Superintendent Ray Palmer told the Observer. He later reported that “the man has been positively identified as the attacker”.