Lottery Scamming Still a Feature in Western Parishes’ Crime – Chang

Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, has stated that lottery scamming continues to be a contributor to crime in western parishes.

The Minister was addressing a community meeting at the Manning’s School in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, on Thursday (January 13). The community meeting was hosted by the Minister to dialogue with Westmoreland residents about the crime situation in the parish.

“They [lotto scammers] link with their friends that have money… . They have dropped through the education system and feel that they have nowhere going…they get huge sums of money and to protect themselves, they buy firearms, they buy cars, and to protect themselves, they kill each other,” Dr. Chang said.

“There are those who have set up systems to bring in the [lottery scamming] money at a percentage and if it is shared and not shared correctly, another killing takes place,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Minister also noted that the Government will be increasing the cadre of police officers on the island to bolster crime-fighting on the island.

“To stop the killing we must have a police force that is large enough and equipped with the tools required to make them effective. The Government is setting about a programme to do that,” he said.

The National Security Minister noted that gangs were “the original source” of crime in Westmoreland.

“There are at least four major gangs; there are several, but four major ones [that] the public is aware of. The Sterling gang and the Kings Valley gang in Grange Hill. The Kings Valley Gang is a very large gang and has been known to be involved in numerous murders,” he said.

“Similarly, coming out of Savanna-la-Mar there are two main gangs, the Dexter Street and Dalling Street gangs …and they have been involved in murders for a long time,” he said.

The Minister noted that the Government is cognisant of the crime issues plaguing the parish and is “doing the work, and we will indicate other things that will be done. So far, we have sent 47 police officers here, and we have sent several special ops teams into the area”.

Dr. Chang also said that the Government recognises and is “hurt by the dramatic increase of criminal activities in Westmoreland, leading to an extremely high level of homicides. I extend my own sympathy and concerns to the families who have lost loved ones,” he said.

A question-and-answer segment with Westmoreland residents also formed part of the meeting.