WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — The Westmoreland police on Friday prosecuted 29 people across the parish for breaches of the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA).

In one instance, 19 individuals — 18 from Westmoreland and one from St Elizabeth — were arrested at 6:30 pm at an unauthorised event in Dunbar’s River in the parish. They are facing charges under the DRMA and the Noise Abatement Act.

In addition to the arrests, the police seized one monitor box, one console and a laptop computer.

Last week Monday, commander of the Westmoreland Police Division, Superintendent Robert Gordon, told OBSERVER ONLINE that over 20 people were prosecuted the previous week for various breaches of the DRMA.

During the recent Westmoreland Municipal Corporation monthly general meeting, Inspector Gregory Hall, head of Westmoreland Traffic and Town Enforcement, told the meeting that illegal parties taking place under the current DRMA have contributed to the spike in murders committed in the parish since the start of the year.

According to Hall, the parish has recorded some 32 murders so far this year in comparison to 27 during the corresponding period in 2020.

A total of 11 murders were committed in April, compared to six during the same month last year.

Inspector Hall said promoters have become innovative in their planning of illegal parties and urged councillors in attendance at the meeting to play their part by reporting these parties, which sometimes are not detected by the police.

Anthony Lewis