Police step up market patrols downtown Kingston to prevent more fires
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Following two market fires in downtown Kingston recently, police have beefed up security at the shopping districts to prevent any more incidents.
Head of the Kingston Western Police Division, Senior Superintendent Michael Phipps, said the police are now making their presence felt around the various markets.
“We have beefed up our presence in and around those areas,” he told OBSERVER ONLINE. “The KSAMC [Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation] are looking at some internal security measures, but in terms of policing, we will continue to do that.”
On Tuesday, February 22, a massive fire broke out at the Ray Ray market, destroying vendors’ stalls and other items. Less than a week later, another fire broke out at the nearby Oxford Mall market. The fires reportedly cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.
Following the fires, Kingston Western detectives listed a man known only as ‘Peppa’, from Matthews Lane in the division, as a person of interest in both incidents.
Peppa has not turned himself into the police. Several operations were conducted to apprehend him, but he has not been found.
