KINGSTON, Jamaica, Wednesday May 2, 2018 – The Jamaica Senate is expected today to give the green light for the state of emergency (SOE) in the parish of St James to be extended for another three months, after the opposition gave its support to a resolution for the extension in the House of Representatives last night.

In making the case for allowing the SOE to remain in place in the parish that is home to Jamaica’s tourism capital, Montego Bay, until August 2, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the measure has been yielding results.

The SOE was introduced on January 18, and between January 1 and April 30, there were 62 fewer murders than during the corresponding period last year, Holness reported.

Although saying his People’s National Party (PNP) would support the extension this time around, Opposition Leader Dr Peter Phillips criticized the security forces’ strategy of “gathering up young men from poor communities” and gradually processing them, saying it would worsen the relationship between the police and the communities.

However, Holness insisted that detentions under the State of Emergency were not carried out arbitrarily.

“The actions of the police in conducting detention exercises are guided by, first, the preparation of what is called a hotspot mapping of the area; then it is paired with intelligence data on persons in the hotspot areas. The police use existing records of outstanding warrants. Quite a few persons who have been detained, were detained based on the fact that they had existing warrants,” he told his colleagues.

Meantime, St James business and tourism interests say they are in strong support of the extension of the SOE, arguing that “Montego Bay and neighbouring communities have never felt safer”.

Speaking after the House voted to extend the SOE, Mayor of Montego Bay Homer Davis said it was clear that the measure was working, and every effort should be made “to keep a good thing going”.

MAYOR OF MONTEGO BAY HOMER DAVIS (PHOTO CREDIT: JIS)

“We have to keep ostracizing the criminals…We can’t give them any breathing space. We have to speak with one voice as a nation and to let them know that there is no place where they will be safe,” he told the Jamaica Information Service.

He said since the SOE, crime has taken a welcomed nosedive and “the criminals are on the run”.

“If they are planning a ‘waiting out’ strategy, we have to show that our resolve is stronger than theirs. We can’t give them any opportunity to regroup…no opportunity to come back and set up shop,” the Mayor said.

“We have made some tremendous gains, which in no way we can allow to be reversed. That would be nothing short of a tragedy and something I am sure none of us want.”

For his part, Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett said everything should be done to send the criminals a message that their days of waging terror on the streets are over.

“We have to remain committed. We cannot allow the crime situation to get back out of control,” he said.

Newly elected President of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Winston Lawson, also welcomed the extension.

“The Chamber lauds the tremendous work of the joint security forces since the advent of the SOE and recognizes the significant successes in reducing the crime levels,” he said. “We hope the extension time is used to strategize in transitioning away from the SOE.”

Read more: http://www.caribbean360.com/news/state-of-emergency-in-jamaican-parish-set-to-be-extended-for-another-three-months#ixzz5ENHbepIs

By: Precious Mills

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Saturday 28^th April 2018)– Yesterday afternoon (Friday) at the grounds of the Tabernacle Police Station, saw a ceremony to commemorate the Commissioning of the newly-constructed forensic lab.

As gathered , the first floor includes offices, conference rooms, bathrooms, dormitory, shower and a kitchen while the on the ground floor consist of rooms like a development lab, enhancement lab, receiving area, exhibit room, ballistics lab and bulk storage.

Work began on the project in November 2017.

Assistant Police Commissioner Hilroy Brandy gave remarks on behalf of Police Commissioner Ian Queeley who was off island at the time, describing the occasion as a “critical moment in the history of the St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and the Federation.”

He touched on the enabled science support in solving crime by citing information from the National Institution of Justice (NIJ) of the United States of America.

“The National Institution of Justice (NIJ) defines forensic science as the application of science such as physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, engineering to matters of law. Forensic science can help investigators understand how blood splatter patterns occurs- That is physic, learn the composition of the sources of evidence such as drugs and chase materials-Chemistry, or determine the identification of unknown suspects-Biology.”

He added: “The National Institution of Justice (NIJ) further identifies that forensic science plays a vital role in the criminal justice system to provide specific basic information through the analysing of physical evidence. During the investigation, evidence is collected at a crime scene or from a person analysed in a crime laboratory and then the result presented at court. Through this forensic laboratory, the Royal St. Christopher and police for can call upon specialised skilled and trained of its employees to assist in the solving of cases.”

Brandy, on behalf COP Queeley encouraged officers to uphold good community policing.

“While I applaud and recongsise the critical importance of scientific examination , I remind officers of the force that nothing is better than a good old fashion policing including stop and search, executing search warrants, good interviews and good community policing, and those must be an integral part of our daily investigations.”

Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Dr. Timothy Harris described the occasion “historic”.

He addressed the issue of safety and security saying:“The peace order, safety and security and good governance are the responsibilities which our cabinet takes very seriously. Today we enhance our capacity to consolidate the peace, the safety and security of our country through the addition of the forensic laboratory.”

Dr. Harris who is the Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Seven which included the community of Tabernacle highlighted that the area “happens to be here” whilst noting that it is because “we have good space.”

Head of the Forensic Department Narace Ramnarine spoke about the value of the work carried out at such a facility.

“Forensic plays an increasingly important role in the prevention and detection and this is likely to continue in the foreseeable future as the rate of technological change quickens. The challenge therefore is for organisations to adopt new skills and procedures that can maximise the forensic science into their investigations and the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force is doing just that by turning this vision into reality.”

• Dey say dat Ole Mother Hubbard say dat she can’t tek on detiefing money story no more.  It sending up she pressure.  She can’t sleep when night come.  She suppose to be looking for she Jesus.  Instead she have to be praying for forgiveness every day because instead a converting people, she help convert de money.

• De PAM people dem wex how everybody finding out how moomoo dey be wid how Idi Amin tief from dey people dem and ain give dem a red cent.  Dey shame bad because is nearly five million he beg and tief from de PAM people dem and he know dat dey too shame to do anyting bout it.

• De PAM people dem trying dey best to fly dey PAM flag dem again.  Dey say dat Idi Amin done tell dem dat dey could fly flag from now till dey find out how much money he really tief, nutten gon resurrect dem.

• Tings so bad wid PAM, is everybody dey inviting to dey convention.  Is text.  Is face book and what’s app dey sending out to everybody who got phone.

• De reason what mek Idi Amin tie did crooked was because he was chasing one a de royal bodyguard dem just before he do de interview.  Dey say when somebody tell him dat he tie did want fix, he tell dem dat dey lucky he even had on pants.

• Ole Mother Hubbard nearly tekeen when she see Idi Amin and he crooked tie.  She tell she pastor dat she don’t know what else to do.  Every time he go way he have to look hook up and bedraggaled like he ain have nobody.

• She say dat when she use to go way wid him she use to mek sure he set right before he go go talk pon anybody tv.  She say she so shame.  De BBC people dem gon want to know if he ain have no mirror.

• She say dat when before he stop giving her trip, is no way dat nobody wasn’t gon know who he be.  But she say dat if not even de school children dem here know him, how he expect anybody in away to know who he be.

• People who see de picture wid Idi Amin say dat he look like when cat a coop rat.  Dey say dat de Queen ain went go talk to him because dey done warn her to keep far from him and de one from Nevis because de two a dem tief bad.

• Dey say dat every time Idi Amin go way, nobody know who he left to run de country.  Dey say dat he tell somebody dat hurricane season coming so he know for sure dat he not gon leave de frilly mout deputy in charge.

• Poor Raggedy Anne nearly tekeen when dey ask her what mek Labour cannot get to use de community centre dem. Dey say dat she ain come wuk for a week how she fraid dey come put question to her and tell her put someting in writing.