PORT ANTONIO, Portland — Acting superintendent of police in charge of the Portland Division Velonique Campbell has blamed outsiders for three fatal shootings that have occurred in the parish so far this year. She has promised a more visible presence and she is urging locals to alert the police when they see unfamiliar individuals who are acting suspiciously.

“The division remains committed and you will see a lot more policing activities, especially on the streets. The three gun murders that occurred in Port Antonio, from the investigation, were committed by itinerant criminals — meaning persons who travel from elsewhere to the parish,” Campbell said during Thursday’s monthly meeting of the Portland Municipal Corporation.

“I am asking you, the councillors, to talk to your constituents to be more aware of your surroundings and when you see unfamiliar persons, please say something to the police. If you are involved in any dispute with anyone and you are threatened, report the matter to the police…A man will not drive from St James or Kingston to murder a stranger in Portland,” Campbell added.

Ballistic evidence recently led to the arrest and charge of two St Catherine men following the shooting death of a vendor along Boundbrook Crescent in the parish on March 4.

The deceased was identified as 31-year-old Ryan Smith, a vendor of Ackee Tree Lane, Lighthouse Road, in Port Antonio.

Charged with murder, possession of prohibited weapon, unauthorised possession of ammunition and using a firearm to commit a felony are 27-year-old Andre Smith of Rosemary Close in Newlands and 19-year-old Michael Morris of a Waterford address both in Portmore, St Catherine.

Reports from the Port Antonio Criminal Investigations Branch are that at about 7:40 am on March 4, Smith was at his stall when a black Subaru motor car drove up and stopped beside him. Morris, armed with a handgun, alighted and fired several shots in Smith’s direction, hitting him all over his body, before boarding the vehicle and fleeing the scene.

The police were informed of the incident and quickly intercepted the vehicle along the Buff Bay main road as the men tried to escape the parish. The men were taken into custody after a spent casing was found within the car when a search was conducted.

They were charged on Wednesday, March 12, after they were interviewed in the presence of their attorney.

Their court date is being finalised.

Portland recorded 17 murders in 2021, 14 in both 2022 and 2023, and 13 in 2024, according to data provided to the municipal corporation’s meeting.

There have so far been three more murders in the parish than for the comparable period last year. However, the senior cop said significant progress had been made in identifying the perpetrators.

“We are in a very unfamiliar spot now, given the recent crime situation. At present, we have a total of five murders as opposed to two for the corresponding period last year. Of the five murders, three have been cleared, in terms of persons being arrested, and the other two, we are on our way with the investigations,” Campbell said.

The murders that have been cleared up were committed in Buff Bay, on January 31; in Windsor Forrest on February 7; and Boundbrook Crescent on March 4.

In the February 7 incident, both the victim and alleged killer are Haitians. Campbell gave an update on the status of ongoing investigations into incidents linked to Haitians who often arrive by boatload on the shores of Portland.

“We have apprehended nine Haitians and three Jamaicans were charged for harbouring illegal aliens. We continue to monitor the situation and conduct operations to capture the other Haitians that are in the space,” she said.