ST JAMES, Jamaica — Despite attracting a larger-than-anticipated crowd, Sunday’s Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) 83rd annual conference at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James passed without any major incident being reported to the police.

Head of the St James Police Division, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Eron Samuels said the security team did a commendable job managing the gathering and ensuring the safety of patrons, while also maintaining effective traffic control around the venue.

“It was a good day. We had no major incidents. Whilst it was a bigger crowd than we had anticipated, I think the team did well in ensuring that we kept persons safe,” Samuels said.

He suggested that the turnout reflected growing confidence in the parish’s improved security climate, noting that St James had become considerably safer than it was a few years ago.

“As you know, St James is a much safer place than it was a couple of years ago, so it shows the confidence that persons are having within the division and parish to have larger events being held here,” he said.

Samuels said the police operation benefited from personnel deployed across the Area One Police Division, which comprises St James, Trelawny, Hanover and Westmoreland, under the command of Assistant Commissioner of Police Glenford Miller, who served as gold commander for the event.

Additional assistance came from the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Specialised Operations, SWAT team and Protective Services Division, the latter providing security coverage in light of the presence of ministers, parliamentarians and other dignitaries.

Turning to traffic management, Samuels said the police had little difficulty overseeing the movement of motorists entering and leaving the convention centre, as the location was familiar to the security team and adequate personnel had been strategically deployed.

“It was fairly easy. This is a location that we are used to and we put the different things in place to ensure that going out and coming in, there was adequate police officers there,” he said.

He also pointed to the venue’s location, away from the ongoing roadworks in the Ironshore area, as an advantage in facilitating the smooth movement of traffic.

Samuels said the police would continue working to preserve the parish’s reputation as a safe destination for major gatherings.

“We continue to push to ensure that we create a safe and secure environment here in St James,” he added.