ST JAMES, Jamaica (JIS) – Minister of National Security Peter Bunting, said that the police force will be relentless in its efforts to tackle crime and keep all areas across the island safe.

He gave the commitment while addressing the handing over of a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system at the Ocho Rios Police Station on Thursday.

The minister was speaking against the background of recent statistics, which are showing a notable decrease in crime in the usual hotspots and an upsurge in activities in rural communities and areas that are traditionally less volatile.

Minister Bunting said the security forces have been noticing the trend, which is attributed to criminals migrating.

He noted that the western region of the island has been experiencing a “serious upsurge” in murders, which he said, is linked to the nefarious lottery scam.

“Unfortunately, we have an increase in murders this year as opposed to the corresponding period last year. More than half the murders can be attributed to the lottery scam,” he said.  

Bunting called on citizens to help in the fight against crime as the security forces cannot do it alone. “This will take a whole society approach,” he pointed out.

“We welcome the support from the community leaders, from families, from the church…this is something that we must all tackle together as a nation,” he added.

Bunting noted that interrupting, detecting and defeating crime is critical to the economic development of the country. “We have a very important job to do and we cannot fail,” he stated.

Police Commissioner, Dr Carl Williams, who also spoke at the function, said the police force has been successful in reducing criminal activities in volatile areas, such as Spanish Town, by working with citizens.

“This is something we want to see in other parts of the island,” he said.