THE Police High Command yesterday raised the threat level of criminal violence against its members and assets to “extremely high”, saying it had intelligence that criminals were planning attacks on them.

“This means there is anticipation of imminent violent attacks on members as well as physical assets,” the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) said in a press release.

“This upgrading of the threat level is based on intelligence suggesting that detained and displaced criminals are planning attacks on security forces personnel and assets to send two clear signals that detained gang leaders cannot be held responsible for crime now being committed, and to register the displeasure of crime syndicates against the decisive action being pursued by the security forces against organised crime,” the JCF added.

More than 20 alleged gang leaders, who were

listed on the police most wanted last week, are now in police custody.

The police began calling in the alleged dons, after three days of intense gun battles with thugs in the capital city and in Spanish Town, St Catherine. The brazen gunmen attacked police stations and fired at police officers and soldiers as they tried to access a barricaded Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston in their bid to serve an arrest warrant on former area don Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, who is wanted in the United States to answer drug- and gun-running charges. Coke, however, managed to elude the lawmen and is still on the run.

One soldier was killed in the West Kingston operation, while two policemen were shot dead in an attack on Mountain View.

Among those now in police custody are Coke’s brother Leighton, also known as “Livity”, and his business partner Justin O’Gilvie.

And, in a new list Thursday night, the police named east Kingston businessman Danhai Williams among persons who they believed are affiliated to criminal gangs. Also on the list was Camille ‘Sandy’ Coke, sister of Christopher ‘Dudus’, who has since been taken into custody.

Tesha Miller, the alleged leader of the Spanish Town-based Klansman gang, has also been called in by the police.

Last night, the Police High Command urged its members to take the threat seriously.

“Deployments must not fall below defensive levels and personnel should be prepared to act swiftly and decisively in defence of themselves and colleagues,” the release said, and assured members that they had the full backing of the high command “on any lawful action taken to defend themselves and citizens

of Jamaica”.

It also warned criminal elements and their “sympathisers” that the police remained “undeterred in the fight to defeat organised crime”.