Williams calls on J’cans to cooperate with cops to defeat criminals
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Commissioner of Police Dr Carl Williams, in the form of a press release Monday, updated the nation on the current spate of crime and the efforts being made by the Jamaica Constabulary Force to arrest this troubling increase in murders.
Williams said the 602 Jamaicans that have been murdered since the start of the year is unacceptable and that the JCF is determined to reverse the upward trend.
Approximately 50 per cent of the murders, according to the release, have had their roots in gang conflicts. Thirty-eight per cent of the murders were committed during the course of criminal acts such as robberies and rapes and 10 per cent were domestic – happening in households or among people who have had previous contact with each other.
Guns accounted for approximately 80 per cent of all murders, and the commissioner said: “We are witnessing an alarming increase in the use of illegal firearms in all kinds of conflicts including domestic conflicts.”
“We have also noted a troubling trend where the killings of several older persons have been directly linked to the involvement of their children in gangs and criminal activities,” he added. “I want to make a personal appeal to parents and other family members to ensure that they do not, by their silence, give tacit support to their children who are engaged in criminal behaviour.”
Lottery scamming, according to the release, is a major contributor to murders in area one, which includes the parishes of Westmoreland, Hanover, St James, and Trelawny
Williams moved to assure the people of Jamaica that the men and women of the JCF have been working hard to stem the violence in the society, and to make communities safer.
He made an appeal to Jamaicans for their cooperation and for potential partnerships with the security forces.
“…We cannot rid our country of crime only through the efforts of the security forces. We need your partnership and your support,” Williams insisted.
He added: “I believe that together, united as one people, under God, we can defeat the criminal elements who seek to wreak havoc in our society.”
