COMMISSIONER of Police Owen Ellington says that it is a matter of resources why some crime hotspots have not been cooled.

“We have actually earmarked between 10 and 20 crime hotspots where we believe if we get the resources to construct these little police boxes and embed them in the communities it can make a huge difference at low cost,” the police commissioner told a meeting of the Internal and External Affairs Committee at Gordon House in downtown Kingston last week Tuesday.

The police commissioner said that the Jamaica Constabulary Force has found the small police posts to be the most ‘positively impactful community policing measure’ that it has been able to apply to some traditional crime hotspots.

“I can speak of Tredegar Park, Gravel Heights, Sufferers Heights and there are some other places. Gravel Heights was depopulated because of gang problems, the citizens have returned to their communities because of the fact that the police now live with them,” Commissioner Ellington said.

According to the police commissioner, the Tredegar Park area in St Catherine which has seen as many as eight persons murdered in one night due to gang violence is at peace since receiving the police post.

However, he admitted that it is not comfortable for the policemen. “The facility is unsuitable but we have been able to contain crime in that community, so much so that the citizens have said to me ‘Commissioner, get the material and we will build the police station for you, because since the officers have been here with us we have not had one gunshot fired, we have not had one murder and the police haven’t had to shoot anybody,” Ellington told the Committee.

“I am chastised when I visit these communities because the citizens ask me why do you have the policemen living in these horrible conditions but it’s a matter of resources. If we get the resources to build those police posts, there are many communities that I can think of where we could put them,” he said.

Denise Daley, People’s National Party Member of Parliament for St Catherine Eastern in which one of the areas fall, said, in response to the commissioner’s statements, “When I went to Gravel Heights and I spoke to them they said they could not take any gifts from politicians they would have to get instructions from their superiors, so I was willing and I am still willing,” she said.