ST ANN, Jamaica — Commissioner of Police Dr Carl Williams has stressed the need for citizens to partner with law enforcers in order to prevent crimes across Jamaica.

“Citizens know what is happening in their community and they need to speak up,” Dr Williams told stakeholders at a town hall meeting hosted by the police in Brown’s Town on Thursday.

Dr Williams pointed out that St Ann, which has enjoyed relative quietness for years, was now among the top seven parishes for murders in the country.

Head of the St Ann division, Superintendent of Police Wayne Cameron, who gave an overview of St Ann, said there have been 24 murders committed in the parish so far this year, 11 more than was committed in the same period last year.

“St Ann is at a place where St James was some years ago,” Dr Williams said citizens have to work with the police to ensure the crime situation in the parish does not worsen.

Dr Williams said murders have happened in the middle of the day in parishes such as St James, but witnesses were not coming forward.

“We cannot do it without you,” Dr Williams said adding that there were members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force who are confidential and whom people can talk to.

Dr Williams said while the police are relentless in their efforts to catch criminals and while the police have got better at investigating crimes, the help of communities was still needed to fight crime.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Ealan Powell also called on residents to tell the police what they know.

“No police alone can do it. It would require a police to be in a man’s house, in a man’s car…we have to work together as a community,” he said.

In the meantime, Dr Williams said there was a new class of murders emerging. He said this new class of people have no connections to gangs or criminal groups.

“They are people who we go to church with… They are our brothers; they are our sisters. They are our friends,” Dr Williams said. “Neighbours are killing each other in simple disputes which could be solved more amicably.”

“This is madness,” he said, “one-third of the murders committed in Jamaica are domestic violence.”

Renae Dixon