GREEN ISLAND, Hanover — A 72-hour curfew has been imposed within the Green Island police division as the security forces try to mitigate the fallout from inter-gang conflict and an influx of criminals.

Green Island, said the police, has seen a 300 per cent surge in murders in April alone.

The bounbdaries of the curfew, which started at 5:00 pm on Thursday, will start from the Guango Tree area and encompass the areas of Salt Spring, Santoy, Logwood Fish River and Orange Bay.

Officer in charge of the Green Island police division Inspector Mervin Hodges appealed for public cooperation and partnership.

“The citizens will be inconvenienced as we seek to restore normalcy. So, we are asking for their support and understanding in this regard,” he said.

There were four murders recorded in the division in April, three more than the same period last year.

The most recent incidents took place in the Logwood area last Tuesday when a man was shot dead, followed by the injuring of another man in another shooting.

According to the police, about 8:00 am 21-year-old Timoy Morris was at a shop where he had gone to make a purchase when he was approached by an unknown man who shot him. Morris succumbed to his injuries.

Approximately 13 hours later, a man was using a ‘shortcut’ in the community when he was shot by an unknown assailant. He was rushed to hospital where he was admitted in stable condition.

The police were unable to say if both incidents were connected.

Inspector Hodges said the community is relatively tense and the security forces are working to prevent reprisals. The Green Island cops are receiving support from the Police Area One special operation team and the Jamaica Defence Force.

“Report strange men and do not harbour criminals in the community. It is paramount that the area remains calm for peaceful and economical activities,” Hodges appealed to residents.

“An upsurge in criminal activities affects the social life and settings of the community,” he added.

On April 11, police reported that Green Island in Hanover Western and Montpelier and Sandy Bay in Hanover Eastern have contributed to a surge in murders in the parish despite a 46 per cent reduction, when compared to the January to April 11 period last year.

At that time, the crime officer for Hanover, Deputy Superintendent of Police Carl Brown, told the Hanover Municipal Corporation’s monthly general meeting that Green Island had contributed to 77 per cent of the murders in the parish.