The Government yesterday sought to deflect increasing flak over its seeming lethargy on the frightening crime wave sweeping the island by announcing a number of old and new initiatives aimed at reducing all illegal acts, from murders to misdemeanours.

According to Senator Dwight Nelson, who is acting as the minister of national security while Derrick Smith recuperates, immediate cordons and searches, curfews, vehicle checks and, in general, a zero tolerance approach to all illegal activities will be implemented by the security forces.
"The police are going to ramp up their operational activities," Nelson told the Observer yesterday.

Policemen on Cassia Park Road in Kingston 10, after receiving reports that two armed men were spotted in the area about midday yesterday. A source said that the men fled through the nearby Sandy Gully on seeing the police. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

"These activities will include intelligence-led cordon and searches in hotspots, curfews, vehicle checks. The police are going to be highly visible in all communities and, in particular, hotspots," he added.

He said that the hotspots to be targeted include St Catherine, particularly the Spanish Town area, south-east Clarendon, Montego Bay, August Town, East Kingston, Central Kingston and areas of West Central St Andrew, including Olympic Gardens and Waterhouse.

"The police are going to become very, very active in these areas beginning today," Nelson assured.

Commenting on yesterday's news release from the Ministry of National Security, which said that the police would maintain a zero tolerance approach to minor offences, including noise nuisance, possession of ganja and traffic offences, Nelson said that the police will have to treat all offences as contributory to major concerns about crime in the society.

"And therefore, it has to be a zero tolerance approach to even minor offences, including dances that go on until six to seven o'clock in the mornings," he said.

Against the background of more than 500 murders committed since January, Prime Minister Bruce Golding yesterday held high level talks at Jamaica House with the police commissioner, the head of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), National Security Minister Derrick Smith, Senator Nelson, and permanent secretaries, to address the increase in crime.
The ministry, in a news release, said that among the decisions reached was to fast forward plans to make greater use of intelligence, "to contain, disrupt and apprehend criminals".

Other initiatives revealed were:

. all firearm-related murder investigations in Kingston and St Andrew are to be turned over to the newly created Major Investigation Task Force (MIT);

. investigators in other parishes to be pooled at Area Command Level where the MIT is not yet established to investigate murders, shootings and other serious crimes;

. Kingfish Task Force investigators have taken responsibility for investigating murders in Clarendon;

. police to increase presence in all communities; and

. the intensification of the joint military/police task force established in December and which, according to the ministry, has been successful in restoring order to St James.

A joint task force, comprising the leadership of both the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the JDF, has been operating out of the Office of the Commissioner of Police, 103 Old Hope Road in Kingston since December 3.

The primary role of the task force is to lead on intelligence-inspired planning and executing a broad range of security, crime prevention and law enforcement operations, targeting centres of high crimes, influential criminals, sources of support to criminal elements and critical routes and assets frequently used by criminal elements in the commission of crimes.

The ministry also said that Golding has agreed to lead efforts to "get political consensus around the issue (of crime), and for political representatives to be encouraged to become more involved in communities and use their influence to diffuse emerging and existing conflicts".

It also said that a decision was also made to target troubled communities with the aim of transforming them, using various methods, including community policing and social and economic interventions.

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