Residents Vow To Reclaim St. Elizabeth

Dozens of residents of St. Elizabeth have come together to take a stand against crime.

The Parish Development Committee is promising to drive down epidemic levels of crime.

One Thousand and Seventy Three Murders have been recorded island-wide so far this year.

The theme for the Crime Prevention and Community Safety Symposium held recently is “Reclaiming the Parish, Crime Free St. E”

Head of the Police Division, Superintendent Samuel Morgan says the parish is doing fairly well compared to others.

Morgan says there has been a 45 per cent clear-up rate of murders. He notes that several of the killings were domestic-related.

However there have been reductions in cases of shootings, robberies, rape, larceny and aggravated assault.

And as the festive season approaches, Morgan urges party promoters to take a stance in playing violent-free songs as they contribute to the level of crime.

Meanwhile Member of Parliament for South Western St. Elizabeth, Floyd Green commends the crime fighting strategies being applied, however he is calling on the Ministry of National Security to hasten the implementation of the Jamaica Eye and supply the police stations with more vehicles.