Stepped-Up Street Patrols for Christmas

Some 130 law enforcement officers drawn from both the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) will be deployed in the corporate area to man the streets this Christmas.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) John McLean who heads the Community Safety and Security Branch, explained that the deployment will form part of the high visibility policing strategy to be undertaken by the JCF during the season. He was speaking at a recent Think Tank session at the JIS Head Office in Kingston.
“One of the principal areas of focus is to have high visibility,” he emphasized. “You will see more police officers on the streets, and in the shopping malls. They will be patrolling to deter criminals and to reassure the public. People tend to have a little more money, do a little more shopping with more goods in their houses and in their cars,” ACP McLean further noted.
The high visibility policing will take place in the divisions of St. Andrew Central, St. Andrew North, St. Andrew South, St. Catherine South and Kingston Central. These areas are home to a number of crime hot spots, he explained. To support this initiative a number of rank and file Officers who would normally be assigned administrative duties will be deployed for street duty.
In addition, ACP McLean explained that plans are being drawn up by Commanders of each of the 19 geographic divisions of the JCF to address the specific problems in their areas.
He informed that intelligence-driven operations will also take place in and around the Corporate Area. “We know that the misguided are not going to stop their criminal activities because it is Christmas, so we will be targeting them,” he warned.
He also disclosed that the Flying Squad, Mobile Reserve and the Jamaica Defence Force will also assist crime-fighting operations in the hot spot areas.Emphasis will also be placed on road safety during the yuletide season, as the police will be beefing up road policing as well as intensifying the enforcement of traffic laws in a bid to reduce road crashes and fatalities.
“Importance will be placed on traffic violations, drunk driving and operating defective vehicles,” he said, adding that the initiative would be carried out in conjunction with the Traffic Division and the Highway Patrol Network.
“We will of course, during this festive time, be monitoring many of the planned events to make sure they are effectively policed and that we maintain peace, order, security and the smooth flow of traffic,” ACP McLean said.
Addressing the matter of people’s personal responsibility in reducing the level of criminal activity, he said, “It’s about educating the public that there are things you can do to protect yourself.
We will be out there as much as possible trying to get across to the public and business people the importance of being safe and being alert during the Christmas period to minimize the opportunity for crime to happen.”
Some important safety tips emphasized by the Assistant Commissioner of Police were: Keep limited amounts of cash; use credit or debit cards; be careful in displaying money; use well-lit areas when out and about; go with a friend when shopping; don’t visit areas you don’t know; use ATMs when other customers are around; lock car doors; call a friend before you leave a location so they can know when you are expected and check the security of your house.