RESIDENTS in St James can expect to see a more robust police presence on the streets of that parish following a high-level meeting with members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force yesterday.

In fact, the police have decided to increase their public order activities, especially as it relates to illegal vending and traffic congestion in Montego Bay.

In a statement yesterday, the police high command said the decisions were taken at a meeting convened at the Office of the Commissioner of Police to examine the escalating crime situation in St James. The aim of the meeting, according to the release, was also to develop a Strategic Policing Plan for 2018 for the parish.

According to the statement, several issues were discussed, including improving intelligence capacity; enhancing investigative capabilities; greater use of technology to assist with investigations; reviewing and redefining the divisional command and staff structure; increasing collaboration with local, regional and international law enforcement agencies, especially on transnational and financial crimes; strengthening partnerships with various public and private sector stakeholders; enhancing community collaboration with community stakeholders and groups; boosting the morale of staff through increased training and development for persons within the police division; and the Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Branch and the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) were jointly tasked to aggressively tackle organised and financial crime.

The police high command also said MOCA will be refocusing their efforts on issues of police corruption.

Meanwhile, the police high command said also coming out of the meeting, the JCF will continue to maintain all critical elements of its security apparatus, while deploying its resources effectively to provide the highest levels of security for all Jamaicans.

“These changes, among many others, will go a long way in helping us to achieve the objective of building safer and more secure communities, and we will be relying on the support of every Jamaican,” the high command said yesterday.

The JCF also continued to implore the public “to tell what you know and give up criminals and their guns”.

In the release, the public was also reminded “not to create a safe haven for criminal elements as this may put them at risk of becoming victims of crime due to their association” with such nefarious individuals or groups.