Acting Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington, in his first public address since taking over the reins of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), urged members of neighbourhood watch groups to employ modern methods in policing their communities.

Speaking at the annual Neighbourhood Watch church service at the Bayside New Testament Church in Portmore, St Catherine, Ellington said: “The need is now for the movement to become more adaptable to the changing environment prevailing in Jamaican society. As the security environment changes and new threat factors emerge, neighbourhoods, with the guidance of trusted community police officers, must adjust their safety responses.”

The Neighbourhood Watch movement started 22 years ago as communities struggled with an increase in housebreaking and other property crimes.

Yesterday Ellington called on law- abiding citizens to play a more active role in the fight against crime.

“We cannot afford to be silent anymore. The voices of law and order must be heard or the abyss created by fear and confusion will continue to deepen. We cannot afford to sit back and expect others to act on our behalf. If we do then the criminals will continue to undermine our security and confidence,” he said.

Ellington was last week appointed by the Police Service Commission to lead the force after Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin threw in the towel.

Ellington will need all the support he can muster to curb the crime monster. Between January 1 and October 31, more than 1,300 murders have been recorded on police blotters.

Two weeks before his appointment, Ellington revealed that there were 180 criminal gangs operating in the island. But yesterday he was tight-lipped about his plans to restore law and order.

“I will be meeting with my team and after that meeting I will tell the nation how we plan to progress. I will say nothing else at this time,” Ellington told the Observer.