POLICE Commissioner Owen Ellington Monday said 25 of the men the police asked to turn themselves in last week are now in custody and that the strategy to keep them off the streets has so far proven successful in terms of public safety.

However Ellington, who was speaking at the Observer’s weekly Monday Exchange held at his office on Old Hope Road in Kingston, said none of the men have so far been charged.

“We have some limited yet extraordinary powers under the State of Emergency which enables us to take into custody individuals who we consider to be a threat to public safety and peace,” he said.

“By way of their actions and association we thought it prudent to have in our custody some of these individuals, and their absence from the streets has proven to be very helpful in some respects,” he added.

The police, following last week’s operation aimed at capturing West Kingston strongman Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke and restoring stability to Tivoli Gardens, released the names 34 men, who they identified as persons of interest.

The measure was taken after the Government imposed a limited State of Public Emergency on Kingston and St Andrew in the wake of unprovoked attacks on police patrols and police stations across the city.

Among those who turned themselves in are:

* Michealous Phipps, also called ‘Zeekie’, the son of incarcerated Matthews Lane don, Donald ‘Zeeks’ Phipps. He reportedly took over the leadership of the Matthews Lane gang after the imprisonment of his father.

* Rohan Hope, brother of slain One Order don, Andrew ‘Bun Man’ Hope. He was handed over to Assistant Commissioner of Police Leon Rose at the Mobile Reserve by attorney Peter Champagnie.

* Mark Walters, also called Mark II, who is said to be a member of a gang based in Allman Town in Central Kingston. He was also handed over by Champagnie.

* Cleveland ‘Cassie’ Downer, the leader of a gang based in a community known as ‘Common’ off Red Hills Road.

* Kareem Allen, the son of slain South Side don, Franklyn ‘Chubby Dread’ Allen.

* Horace Ramsay, also called ‘Pugu’ of South Side.

* Kevin Myers, also called ‘Forehead’.

* Kevin Elliott, otherwise called ‘Killer’ of Fletcher’s Land.

* Andre Buchanan, also called ‘Mills’ of Anderson Road in Woodford Park.

Meanwhile, police said they were still seeking Harry Mcleod, also called ‘Harry Dog’; Prince Bucket, also called ‘Tugman’; Paul Kirkpatrick, otherwise called ‘Teddy Paul’; three members of the notorious Spanish Town-based Klansman gang — Jermaine Morrison also called ‘Speedy’, Nevardo Hodges and Michael Maragh.

They are also seeking Michael Pasley, also called ‘Tony’, and Calvin Harris, popularly known as ‘Collie’ from the Rat Bat gang.