ST JAMES, Jamaica — The St James police have listed thirteen gangs which they will be prioritising under a second iteration of the “Operation Storm” initiative.

Dubbed “Operation Storm 2”, the police are looking at criminal collectives that have set up bases in several different communities in the parish, according to operations officer for the parish, Deputy Superintendent Lynroy Edwards.

“The gangs that we will be giving focused attention to are the G6 gang, they operate in Salt Springs, Rose Heights areas; 641 gang also in Salt Spring and Rose Heights,” he said during a press conference which signalled the launch of the operation on Friday.

“Bloods Gang in Flower Hill, YSF in Bird Hill and KDF, Mount Salem,” he continued. “Downtown Sparta and Young Sparta Generation (YSG), Flankers, Rebel Gang from the Flankers community and Lybian Gang, Flankers.”

“YAK, Norwood, HDF, Norwood, One Don Gang, Mount Carey, Shmoney, Maroon Town and Bad 13 from Springmount,” Deputy Superintendent Edwards said as he listed the gangs.

Edwards said it is the intention of the security forces to dismantle and disarm these gangs, however long it takes.

“We want to inform the citizens of this parish that they will see heightened police and military presence in all communities, townships and major thoroughfares across the parish,” he explained.

“However, law-abiding citizens need not be worried as the focus will be on the gangs as we intend to remove them permanently from the communities in which they are hiding and or operating in,” he sought to reassure.

Edwards is therefore asking individuals with information to reach out to the police and share whatever information they may have in this regard.

“We’re encouraging the citizens to help us to identify the persons who are affiliated with these gangs and where they are residing. We want to know where they party, socialise and hang out, the vehicles that they drive and most importantly where the guns are hidden,” he appealed.

For those associated with the gangs and other criminal activities, he is urging them to turn themselves in to the police.

“We are warning the gangs not to challenge or resist the police when we come as we have a lawful responsibility first to defend and protect ourselves and the decent law-abiding citizens of this parish,” the deputy superintendent declared.

“We are appealing to all gang members and their supporters from the respective gangs to do the right thing and surrender yourselves and guns in your possession to us and to prevent us from coming for you because we will be using every lawful tool that we have at our disposal to arrest and prosecute you, to ensure that the decent law abiding citizens can live, work, do business, raise their families and also visit in peace this beautiful parish of St James,” he added.

Several of St James’ most wanted individuals and also persons of interest were also highlighted during the event which included Tevin Lawson, otherwise called “Bruckhand” who is wanted for murders and shootings.