SSP McGregor laments wave of murders in St James
MONTEGO BAY, St James — SENIOR Superintendent of police (SSP) Steve McGregor is lamenting that the St James Police Division, which he heads, is not only the leading parish in the number of murders committed across the island, but is the only division with a murder tally over 100 since the start of the year.
“St James is the only parish in the country today (Tuesday) which has surpassed 100, as it relates to the number of murders in any parish in our country. In fact, St James is at 103 this morning. There is no other parish, or division, in our country which is racking up those numbers, so it is not good,” SSP McGregor said.
Noting that 90 per cent of the murders stemmed from disagreements among players in the lottery scam, SSP McGregor also decried the 25 reports of violence among children in the division, ending with two fatalities.
“We have recorded 25 incidents of violence — youth on youths — within the schools. Sadly, two of them have turned out to be fatal,” he said. SSP McGregor
was speaking at the Montego Co-operative Credit Union (MCCU) Skills for Life awards ceremony held at the Cornwall College Chapel in the resort city.
The MCCU Skills for Life programme, established in 2010, exposes high school business students to practical knowledge of micro businesses. Upon the successful completion of the training exercise and the approval of a viable plan, teams from each participating schools receive a start-up capital of $25,000 with a lifespan of four months.
Monthly visits are made by the MCCU’s assessment team to ensure compliance and sound business practice. At the end of the four-month period, the amount of $25,000 is returned to the credit union to fund other schools, while the students keep the profit made from the business.
This year, Cambridge High, which amassed a profit of $231,000, outperformed the other three participating schools to grab the championship trophy and a cash award. Green Pond High School students and their coach received cash awards for second place, while Cornwall College and Spot Valley High finished third and fourth, respectively.
