Councillor Ainsley Parkins’ penchant for naming and shaming individuals involved in criminal activity in his division was advanced, by people who knew him well, as a possible reason for his brutal murder Thursday morning.

“He was a man who didn’t support slackness as a councillor. He has a bus with two loudspeakers on it, and from you start to give trouble him loud up your name on full blast. He did that for many years, and him nuh hold back,” a male resident told the Jamaica Observer near the murder scene in the Southboro community. His friends nodded in agreement.

The People’s National Party (PNP) councillor was in his Southboro Division in Portmore, St Catherine, doing an assessment of a community project when gunmen pumped more than 20 bullets into his motor vehicle.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey told journalists at the murder scene that the killing occurred about 9:45 am. He encouraged people with information about the murder to tell what they know.

“Councillor Ainsley Parkins was in the Southboro community in the vicinity of Laurel Road in his burgundy Toyota Rush when his vehicle was attacked and shot up. We can’t say how many people were involved. A police patrol vehicle was in close proximity and heard the explosions. When they came they found him slumped in the front of his vehicle, leaning towards the passenger seat. Based on our own assessment, it is obvious that the shooter or shooters came very close to him, but we have no further information about how it happened. The investigation has commenced. We have assembled a top-level team headed by the Criminal Investigations Branch headquarters and the major investigations division. I am appealing to the public, anyone who would have seen anything, call us at 311 or 811,” the senior cop appealed.

Mayor of Portmore Leon Thomas said he was aware that Councillor Parkins was a strong campaigner against wrongdoing.

“Despite whatever may be taking place, as long as he had any information he always passed it on to the police. He was not afraid to confront people and tell them that they are interfering or doing something wrong. I am just saying that whoever saw what took place this morning, I am appealing to you to give the police the information, and I hope that the police will bring the perpetrators to justice as quickly as possible,” he said.

“I knew Ainsley for many years when he was active in the Southboro Citizens’ Association and also the Newlands Citizens’ Association. That is where we met. I was the president of the Greater Portmore Citizens’ Association at the time and I know that he loved to represent people and he did that without fear,” Thomas said.

Member of Parliament (MP) for St Catherine Southern, the PNP’s Fitz Jackson, expressed sadness at the killing of the man with whom he had worked for almost 30 years.

“I worked with him while he was a community leader in Naggo Head and Newlands. I was one of the people who encouraged him into representational politics. He was diligent in serving his people. He put people first. He worked tirelessly for his communities and there are many symbols of his doing, like parks and recreational areas, infrastructure and sanitation facilities in his community. He made a difference in the lives of thousands of people in the division,” Jackson said.

He, too, spoke of Parkins’ fortitude.

“He was very intolerant of criminals and wrongdoers and he made no bones about it. He would call out people he would hear is involved in criminal activity and many people resented that and weren’t comfortable. That, in itself, spoke to his fearlessness,” Jackson said.

The veteran MP also noted that Parkins approached his job with great diligence.

“He was a hands-on person. He didn’t just give directives, he was actively involved in the supervision of projects in his division. I am not surprised that he was out there making sure everything was going right,” Jackson said.

Earlier the PNP expressed shock at Parkins’ murder and extended condolence to his family, colleagues at the Portmore Municipal Corporation, and the constituents of Southboro.

“The PNP condemns this heinous act of violence in the strongest possible terms. We call upon law enforcement agencies to conduct a swift, thorough, and impartial investigation, leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of justice. It is imperative that the perpetrators of this heinous act are swiftly identified and held accountable to face the full extent of the law,” the party said in a news release.

The PNP described Parkins as “an outstanding public servant who dedicated himself to the welfare and progress of his constituents”, adding that “throughout his tenure he worked tirelessly to tackle the pressing issues faced by his constituents, and his remarkable achievements have left an indelible mark on the lives of those he served”.