WESTMORELAND, Jamaica – Westmoreland police say several steps are being taken to ramp up their presence and resources in the parish, especially the resort town of Negril which has been faced with a series of robberies and other criminal activities in recent times.

The officer in charge of operations for the parish, Deputy Superintendent of Police Adrian Hamilton told a security meeting of the Negril Chamber of Commerce on Sunday that the rollout of the activities will start on Monday.

“So, all those deployments of resources l, we are committed to continuing and beefing them up and to utilise as much covert activities as we can to the immediacy [of] treating of robberies and criminal activities that are taking place especially from now into the Christmas period and beyond,” stated DSP Hamilton, adding “we want start 2024 on a good footing as well.”

The special chamber meeting was called to facilitate discussions on the current state of security in Negril and suggest and implement solutions. This was held at the Negril Treehouse Hotel.

Among the resources to be implemented is a boost to the quick response team in the parish which will be receiving an undisclosed number of motorcycles from the 74 motorcycles the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) received last week.

Additional boots are also to be placed in the town, starting Monday; the provision of a WhatsApp number for stakeholders to communicate directly with the police, and the seeking of external resources within the JCF, including the counter-terrorism and organised crime branch. A joint policy / military patrol will also continue.

In recent times, there have been killings and a series of robbery sprees between Little London and Negril which have been committed by a syndicate of criminals in and outside of the parish, targeting bars, supermarkets and other business places.

The police held seven people (six men and one female) from a St James address after they were intercepted in the Little London space in connection with the incidents on Friday, and DSP Hamilton told the meeting that the cops are committed to putting an end to what is taking place. Three vehicles were also seized.

“I will also tell you that we are not resting. So, even these persons who have been involved in these criminal activities recently in this space, we are not going to stop. Right now as we speak, the team is on it. We are putting things together, we are linking the investigations, we are using technology and we will get to them. I am committing it to you that we are not going to rest, even if no other robberies are committed between now and that time. The perpetrators who have done this to the community will pay for it,” assured the tough-speaking cop to a round of applause.

Anthony Lewis