ST ANN’S BAY, St Ann — Head of the Area 2 police Assistant Commissioner Elan Powell has called for greater support from the St Ann Parish Council as he seeks to restore public order in the parish’s major towns.

ACP Powell has bemoaned the lack of public order in the resort town of Ocho Rios and the parish capital St Ann’s Bay and he wants the council’s assistance to restore it.

Addressing last Thursday’s general council meeting, ACP Powell, who recently took over command of Area 2, said of the three parishes in the division — Portland, St Mary and St Ann — the latter was most worrisome. He singled out the disorder caused by operators of public passenger vehicles and said he has committed to harnessing the problem with a view to improving the flow of traffic and making the area more habitable.

“There are problems in Ocho Rios. There are problems in St Ann’s Bay. One of the major problems I think we have is how we conduct ourselves in public, and I speak specifically of the public transportation problem we have in Ocho Rios,” ACP Powell told the meeting.

Business interests and commuters, particularly in the resort town, have long complained about the congested state of the major streets and the lack or unwillingness of the police to deal decisively with the problem.

According to former mayor of St Ann’s Bay and councillor for the Exchange Division, Delroy Giscombe, the congested Ocho Rios town has made it difficult, and in some instances, impossible for people to conduct business or for commuters to move about freely.

Powell said while a lot would depend on the police in terms of addressing the concerns, the council and its representatives also have roles to play in ensuring that public order is restored.

Meanwhile, ACP Powell said the police was working to bring crime in the parish under control. Responding to questions from Winston Brown, councillor for the Borobridge Division where there have been an increase in violence, ACP Powell said the St Ann police was working with their colleagues in Manchester and Clarendon to arrest the problem in the wider geographical area.

Recently, primary school teacher 43-year-old Beverly Allen was shot three times in the head as she tried to flee attackers who had invaded her home. There have also been reports of shootings and robberies in the area, widely known to be a peaceful community.