Communities across central Kingston have been experiencing a significant increase in violence, since the start of the year. Member of Parliament, Donovan Williams, has traced the upsurge to September 3, the last general election. He noted the shooting of three people by armed thugs at the intersection of Foster Lane and Laws Street in the “Southside” district of Parade Gardens, has spilled over to other sections of the constituency resulting in reprisals between rival factions.
In his maiden presentation in the State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, October 5, Williams said this has culminated in the current wave of shootings and murders plaguing the constituency.
The MP says sections of Franklyn Town, Rae Town, and Southside fall within the Kingston Eastern police division, adding that up to September 30, 8 murders were recorded compared to 11 for the same period in 2020. Five shootings have been recorded since January, compared to seven for the corresponding period in 2020.
While commending members of the Kingston Central and East Kingston police divisions, for what he describes as their unwavering commitment in helping to quell the violence in the areas, he notes that the police have stepped up their operations in the troubled communities by setting up buffers and conducting joint police/military operations, in recent weeks.
The MP notes that there is a need for more resources to be deployed to these divisions so the police can be better equipped to curtail crime and violence.
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