THE Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is developing several initiatives to help reduce the number of young people involved in criminal activities in western Jamaica, according to head of the Area One Police Assistant Commissioner (ACP) Clifford Chambers.

Speaking at the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s inaugural security summit at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on April 6, ACP 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 to motivate young people to look at alternatives to crime, adding that initiatives like the security summit, which seeks consensus and community involvement, is a step in the right direction.

“St James has been plagued with criminal activities, and in 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,” he added.

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.

Meanwhile, in a panel discussion dubbed The impact of Music on crime and Violence in our Society, reggae artiste and advocate, Ventrice “Queen Ifrica” Morgan, said entertainers can do a lot more to assist in the fight against crime.

“We do carry a lot of influence as many of us are considered role models, and where many of these youngsters look up to us,” she noted.

“We as entertainers need to recognise this power and that there is a lot we can do to get the youth to think and behave in a positive way. Music is one such avenue that can influence behaviour throughout the society,” Morgan said.