ST JAMES, Jamaica — The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) says it is currently developing several initiatives to help reduce the number of young people involved in criminal activities in western Jamaica.

In a release, head of the Area One Police, Assistant Commissioner (ACP) Clifton Chambers, said police investigations have revealed that a high percentage of the crimes being committed in parishes such as St James, are being carried out by young people, particularly males.

He said it is against this background that the police high command has taken aim at putting together strategies where young people can be coaxed into looking at alternatives to crime, adding that initiatives like the security summit, which seeks consensus and community involvement, is a step in the right direction.

Chambers was speaking at the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s inaugural security summit at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on Wednesday, April 6.

 “St James has been plagued with criminal activities and is a parish where nearly 80 per cent of the crimes committed are done by young people,” ACP Chambers noted.

“Generally, some of the issues we have here in St James are unlike others. We have the phenomenon of the lottery scamming…  We have the issue of gang conflicts…we have the issue of intra gang conflicts…we have a proliferation of illegal firearms directly related to the ease which they have been able to purchase them, and which has its genesis, to some extent, to lottery scamming and so we [must] keep our eyes on all the varying issues.”

ACP Chambers said paradoxically, not only are they (young people) the main perpetrators of crime but “they are victims” as well, noting that up to April 3 this year, St James had seen a 21 per cent increase in murders, compared to the similar period last year.

He pointed out that the reality is that “our youth” are at risk as “we are looking” at about 80 per cent of the murders being committed by them, which is a big problem.

“Invariably [looking at it from the other side], if they are committing the crime then we are seeing that they are opening up themselves to be killed… to be arrested… to be charged… to be prosecuted,” ACP Chambers added.

Area One consists of the parishes of Westmoreland, Hanover, St James and Trelawny.