BY PAUL HENRY

Co-ordinator — Crime/Court Desk

henryp@jamaicaobserver.com

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — In the face of rising public concern about crime in this south central parish, the police command is assuring residents that gangs will never be allowed to flourish here.

Head of the Manchester Police Division Superintendent Marlon Nesbeth told a public forum at St Mark’s Anglican Church late Thursday that two of three recognised criminal gangs in the parish have been rendered dormant by the police.

He said work was ongoing to dismantle all such criminal cliques, including the only active one, the Busso gang, which is based in Greenvale.

Nesbeth, speaking against the backdrop of gang-inspired murders, drug-trafficking, gun-running, corruption, and extortion across Jamaica, said that in Manchester there would be no chance for criminal influence such as by Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke and his Presidential Click in west Kingston prior to May 2010.

“We will never get there in Manchester,” Nesbeth told the gathering, which included National Security Minister Peter Bunting and a representative of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce. “…We have good things in Manchester and good governance structure. We don’t have gangs in Manchester trying to influence politics.”

Nesbeth told the Jamaica Observer Central that the Manchester police have arrested a number of Busso members who are now on gun and murder charges. He said that work is being done by the police to dismantle the gang, which operates across parish borders, as has been the case with the Scott Town, Comfort and Grey Ground gangs among others.

During the forum, Nesbeth highlighted the reduction in murders within the division — from 39 last year to 32 so far — while conceding that there was still a problem with robberies, break-ins and migratory criminals.

Nesbeth said domestic disputes accounted for 50 per cent of murders and that this problem was being addressed through the Manchester Dispute Resolution and Violence Prevention Association — brainchild of the national security minister who is also member of parliament for Central Manchester.

Nesbeth also said measures to deal with the robberies and break-ins included frequent patrols, both covert and overt. He said the division will soon be getting a boost in manpower to accelerate the anti-crime drive.

Nesbeth said most break-ins and robberies were being done by criminals brought into the area by locals and urged residents to report strange men in their areas.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Nesbeth said.

“A whole heap,” said one female attendant at the meeting.

“And we will do it with your help,” Nesbeth shot back, while calling on residents to tell the police what they know.

During the question and answer session, one resident wanted to know about the issue of pickpockets in Mandeville, but Nesbeth said that there was no longer a problem. Another felt that the media was not being informed about the crime problems in the area. Again, Nesbeth said that was not the case.