MONTEGO BAY, St James — Even as the police ramped up crime-fighting efforts in Montego Bay on Wednesday, another murder was committed in the heart of the western city.

The dead man has been identified as 55-year-old Egbert Lloyd, a resident of Norwood Gardens in St James. He was stabbed in Sam Sharpe Square around 3:00 pm.

Residents heard a shout, then saw a man with stab wounds. The police were alerted and took the wounded man to hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

This was mere hours after police teams from the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB) and other agencies launched operations across the city. Among the issues on their radar were illegal vending and traffic violations as they sought to maintain public order. The police have indicated that more than 200 traffic tickets were issued on Wednesday.

Another aspect of the operation was the targeting of criminal networks that are linked to major crimes.

Assistant commissioner of police in charge of the Area One Division Clifford Chambers welcomed the support being provided, saying he has “no doubt” it will make a difference.

“What you’ll find is that persons are somehow comfortable in their areas, which are controlled by or under the influence of a particular gang who are in fracas with other gangs who are okay in their turf,” he explained.

“It’s when they come out of their safe haven, so to speak, they become vulnerable and the town capital is where they are likely to come and, by extension, the place where crimes are likely to be committed. So with these activities and these initiatives and with the numbers being increased — and we tend to continue to increase these numbers as also the quick response — it will definitely have an impact on the major crimes which are being committed in the capital,” he added.

Restoring order in the town centre, Chambers noted, has been on his agenda since his arrival to take up the post at Area One in 2020. There has been a weekly push across various agencies, including teams from the Jamaica Constabulary Force and Jamaica Customs; however, because of the challenges of major crimes in the parish, resources have had to be diverted, he said.

“The sustenance was the issue because Montego Bay, as certain areas erupt, we have to concentrate our resources on the hot spots, the crime-prone areas. One will understand that those are more significant,” he said.