Mandeville , Manchester — Fear is on the rise in the border communities of southern Manchester and St Elizabeth in the wake of a spate of gun crimes including the murder of a construction worker on vacation from Cayman on Monday night.

Police and residents say the deceased, 50 year-old Romel Hamm, was fatally shot and robbed at a bar in Prospect, southern Manchester, just over the border from St Elizabeth at about 8:30 pm. Two men entered the bar and fired shots hitting Hamm before robbing him, according to reports.

Police say Hamm was confirmed dead at hospital and residents say Hamm, who is from Prospect, had arrived in Jamaica just under two weeks ago from Cayman Islands where he had lived and worked for some time. They say he was due to return next Sunday.

The residents believe the murderers had earlier robbed a roadside jerk vendor, across the border in St Elizabeth, before taking a transport operator’s minivan at Butt-up in south Manchester, not far from Prospect. The taxi operator was reportedly held at gunpoint while playing dominoes with friends and the keys to his vehicle taken from him. Residents say the minivan was later found burnt out at Montpelier, also in southern Manchester.

Political representatives in the border communities including Frank Witter (Jamaica Labour Party –JLP), Member of Parliament (MP) for St Elizabeth South Eastern; Layton Smith (People’s National Party – PNP) councillor for the Myersville Division; and Omar Robinson who is aspiring to be a standard-bearer for the PNP in upcoming local government elections, all spoke of the growing fear and of the need for increased resources to fight crime in the area.

They pointed to armed robberies, break-ins, and at least two murders in communities of south Manchester and south-eastern St Elizabeth, including Prospect, Nain, Lititz, Gazeland, Junction, and Bull Savannah late last year, which they said were fuelling worry and fear.

Witter, who won a second0straight term as MP in St Elizabeth South Eastern in the September 2020 Election and also served 2007-2011, said he would be appealing to the authorities for increased resources for the police, including “under cover” personnel.

He recalled that two years ago when there was a similar upsurge of gun crimes in Junction and neighbouring communities, but the arrival of additional “boots on the ground” made a big difference with crime falling to previously low levels.

“That intervention two years ago was very, very effective… we can do it again,” Witter said.

The parliamentarian also voiced a strong belief and optimism that the prevailing “culture” in south-eastern St Elizabeth and southern Manchester “where people will talk to the police” meant criminal behaviour has been seen in recent weeks is unsustainable.

“We have seen surges [of crime] like this, from time to time, in years past. This is not new. It is always brought under control, because people support the police and talk to the police,” Witter said.

Smith called for the “relevant authorities” to act to get criminals and guns off the streets and out of the communities. He described the “many robberies, hold-ups, shootings and murder” as “cause for great concern”.

Robinson, who aims to replace the PNP’s Dalton Brown – who will not be contesting the next election – as councillor for the Alligator Pond Division, spoke of the “heartbreaking” grief when he visited Hamm’s family and friends at the murder scene in Prospect on Monday night.

“All he (Hamm) was doing was having a drink… we can’t afford to continue losing people like this,” Robinson lamented.

“This…needs to stop. The authorities need to have some sort of plan..we don’t make guns here we have to find a way to get the guns off the streets,” the political aspirant said.

He added: “All of us in the Alligator Pond Division are scared, we don’t know who next will be robbed. We don’t know who next will be snuffed out.”

Robinson pointed out that the Alligator Pond Police Station “has only one service vehicle” and pleaded for more resources so the local constabulary can “police the division better”.