KINGSTON, Jamaica – Civil Military Cooperation and Media Affairs Officer at the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Major Basil Jarrett says that both the police and soldiers have strategically located troops in key hot spots across the country, acting as a buffer between rival gangs.

“Right now, we have a tense situation in Denham Town and Tivoli Gardens as rival gangs grapple for ownership and control of turf in West Kingston,” said Jarrett in giving an example of the strategic positioning .

“These men have no reluctance to attack each other in the community and so our presence forces them to reconsider and reassess their options. As we have seen, this has by no means removed their determination to shoot at and kill each other, but with our troops on the ground, it does make it a bit more difficult for them.”

The presence of the security forces in the communities has not only compromised the activities of the rival factions, but has also led to frequent contact between soldiers, police and criminals.

“Just last night there was contact between a JDF patrol team and gunmen in the vicinity of Tulip Lane, Denham Town, when gunmen opened fire on the patrol team. Fortunately, no innocent civilians were hurt in the exchange but this demonstrates the frustration of the gunmen and their willingness to engage us as a result of our interfering presence”.

Nonetheless, Jarrett noted that JDF soldiers are well trained and equipped to operate in dense, built up areas such as West Kingston and as such, take maximum precautions at all times to ensure the safety of innocent civilians in the areas in which they operate.