Westmoreland police ramp up safe-school intervention following arrest and charge of teens
WESTMORELAND, Jamaica— Westmoreland Police say they have ramped up safe-school interventions following the arrest and charge of two teenage boys for robbery with aggravation and unlawful wounding stemming from incidents that occurred in the parish between Thursday, January 12 and Friday, January 13.
The investigation leading to the teens’ arrest was activated from a video that was circulating on social media, displaying teens of a prominent high school— that seemingly formed a gang— assaulting another student.
The video showed several teenage boys confronting another male child, one of whom used a machete to hit the boy all over his body.
It is also alleged that the child was robbed of an undisclosed sum of cash.
Following the video, the teenagers implicated were suspended from school, two of whom were subsequently arrested and charged.
Police, along with school officials, will also be hosting a closed meeting this week with parents. Anti-gang lectures have also been scheduled in schools and the Victim Support Unit is also providing care.
“We have our school resources officers, who provide guidance and security, dispatched to various schools on a daily basis. However, stemming from these incidents, we have increased our engagement in our schools. We are not only speaking with students, but with school officials and parents”, said Wayne Josephs, Senior Superintendent in charge of Westmoreland.