ALBERT TOWN, Trelawny — Head of the Trelawny Police Division, Superintendent Winston Milton, has reiterated his concern about how residents of the parish resolve interpersonal conflicts and has warned that this continues to pose a major challenge to maintaining peace in the parish despite a significant drop in serious crimes since the start of this year.

Addressing Mayor of Falmouth C Junior Gager’s Divisional Consultation in Albert Town on Tuesday, Milton revealed that aggravated assault, driven by interpersonal conflict, is the only category of crime that has increased in Trelawny since the start of this year, with nine reported cases compared to five during the same period last year.

“We are seeing an increase in this category. Why we make mention of this is because it is moving along the same trend where we are having concern in the parish. Last year, we had some 42 per cent of the 24 murders that were recorded attributed to interpersonal conflict. The year before that we had some 46 per cent of the 25 murders that were committed attributed to interpersonal conflict,” said Milton.

“What these figures are saying to us is that we have a very serious problem in Trelawny with interpersonal conflict. It is the single most potent threat to the safety and security of our people. We are not able to coexist in a peaceful manner. In every grouping you are going to have differences. How we resolve the differences is critical,” added Milton.

The divisional commander told the meeting that as his team grapples with interpersonal conflicts they have intensified the forging of private and public sector partnerships in a bid to achieve behavioural changes.

“Because of that we have been partnering with some government agencies and non-government agencies in order to impact the way we go about treating with this, and this is not an easy task ladies and gentlemen. We are trying to modify human behaviour. Just think of it, for those persons who do sociology, it’s a very difficult and daunting task; but it is not beyond us if we work together,” said Milton.

“During the course of this calendar year you will be seeing us engaging you a little bit more than we did last year… and last year we really engaged you. The Trelawny Police Division is on two social media platforms. We are on
Facebook [and] we are on
Instagram. I am advising you to follow us so we can communicate with you.

“We have to try to see how we can start police youth clubs in communities that are without police youth clubs. We are in the process of expanding our farmers watch groups in Trelawny, we are in the process of expanding neighbourhood watch groups here in Trelawny. All of this with a hope to engage some critical stakeholders who can partner with us to work towards modifying dysfunctional behaviour of some of our citizens here in the parish of Trelawny,” Milton added.

However, he was quick to point out that the parish remains one of the safest across the country.

Milton reported a significant decline in serious and violent crimes in Trelawny since the start of the year, with the exception being aggravated assault cases.

Compared to the same period last year, murders have dropped from seven to two, while shootings are down from five to one.

So far this year the police have recoded a decrease in the reports of rape from five to one, larceny cases remain at zero, while one robbery reported in the parish so far this year is the same as the corresponding period last year.

“We now boast the lowest crime figure in terms of murder… and there is only one parish in Jamaica that is below that, and that is because of the strategy that we have employed and the relationship that we have with you, our vital and important customer,” said Milton.

He revealed that Trelawny has one of the highest clear-up rates across the 19 police divisions, with 87 per cent of serious and violent crimes cleared up.

According to Milton, the police have cleared up the two murders but provided no specifics on the cases.

In his response, Gager commended the Trelawny police for their performance.

“The police have been doing a remarkable job in the parish. We laud their efforts in the provision of security for our lives and properties in the parish. Kudos to Superintendent Milton and his team,” Gager told the Jamaica Observer.

Tuesday night’s Mayor’s Divisional Consultation was the second in a series being staged by the Trelawny Municipal Corporation. The consultation provides residents with the opportunity to hear from representatives of Government agencies.