By Nagra Plunkett, Staff Reporter
Supt. Amos: "The Commissioner wants a reduction in crime across the board of 20 per cent and I will ...be a part of that reduction." - File
WESTERN BUREAU:
POLICE SUPERINTENDENT Newton Amos, the new commanding officer for St. James, says he is ready to tackle Montego Bay's crime problem and intends to take a "zero-tolerance" approach to investigating homicides.
"Immediately I am going to look at the statements and warrants that are out for those homicides that have already been committed," he said. "It is my intention to saturate the problematic areas with uniformed personnel both on foot and mobile. This is gonna be critical in my endeavour."
The superintendent comes to Montego Bay, accompanied by Deputy Superintendent Derrick 'Cowboy' Knight, from the St. Andrew South Police Division. The officers are replacing Senior Superintendent Owen Ellington and his crime chief, DSP Roy Boyd, both of whom will take up duties in the Corporate Area.
The parish of St. James recorded 83 murders last year, nine more than in 2001. Police Commissioner Francis Forbes, who was at a press conference in Montego Bay last Friday, said this figure is not in keeping with the national statistics, which saw an eight per cent decline in the total number of murders for 2002.
"The Commissioner wants a reduction in crime across the board of 20 per cent and I will endeavour to be a part of that reduction," Supt. Amos said. "It would seem that there is a lot of work to be done."
He also proposed to focus on community policing and traffic congestion in Montego Bay, for which he will be seeking the assistance of the stakeholders in the tourist industry to help alleviate the problem.
He said that the community-based police initiative "has worked wonders in the most problematic division in the entire Caribbean, that is the St. Andrew South from which I came, and that will be the engine that is gonna propel all my work."
Superintendent Amos, who the Commissioner described as "having a long track record as a hard worker", intends to get support for the victims of crimes, especially domestic violence.
"I will try to build on the positives that are existing in St. James so far like those started by Superintendent Ellington," he explained. "I am going to look at those who are trained already and certainly train others to deal with counselling and mediation, as it relates to domestic violence."
