ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica—Superintendent of Police Coleridge Minto, commanding officer for St Elizabeth Division, is welcoming hurricane relief efforts by Alcor Windows and Doors and Ripton Construction, who have partnered to provide housing solutions to affected residents of Parottee in the parish.

“Both companies have partnered together. I’m very pleased with what I’m seeing here. They are doing some housing solutions for some persons in this area. As late as yesterday [they] would have distributed almost a hundred mattresses,” Minto said.

Additionally, the companies have also been providing critical support in the form of solar lighting in the community and counselling services through a chaplain to residents.

“It’s a very difficult period for St Elizabeth and for the citizens of this area, and so the many stakeholders, the many partners, local, regional, and international, that have been coming into the space to offer support. I want to just applaud the efforts and to say thanks to them, and I’m sure the citizens of Parottee and the wider parish they’re also appreciative of this kind of support,” Minto said.

Meanwhile, Minto said the parish continues to see a downward trend in crime, with only 13 murders being recorded since the start of the year.

According to Minto, this is the lowest the parish has seen in 25 years.

“Since the start of the year, we’ve been seeing a downward trend in our major crimes. We have not seen an increase since Hurricane Melissa, and just today, you know, I led a team of nearly 100 officers going across into some spacing with a major operation. We still have to ensure that crime remains low and that whilst we are rebuilding, we are also allowing persons to be able to enjoy a safe parish,” Minto said.

“We have had 13 murders since the start of the year, and that is the lowest figure in the last 25 years, and so the parish is doing well. Major crimes have been down, robberies down, shootings are down, all our major crimes, except for break-ins, which we had in the earlier part of the year, we were seeing a spike in that, and where the numbers are coming down,” Minto continued.

On the matter of looting, Minto said there were reports a day after the passage of Hurricane Melissa, but the issue is now under control.

“We have that under control. We had reports of looting a day and a half after the passage of Hurricane Melissa. We got support from some external assets, specialised operations, the National Police College, and other formations that came into the space. It’s now under control. We don’t have any further reports of looting, and persons are now trying to establish themselves. We’re doing the clean-up phase, and the rebuilding will naturally start after,” he said.