By Nagra Plunkett, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT of Police (SSP) Paul Ferguson, newly-appointed commanding officer for St. James, has identified drugs, guns and gangs as the main problems contributing to the high incidence of crime in the parish.
He noted that the presence of drugs and guns were becoming more prevalent in some areas and that criminal gangs are on the rise.
GANG WARFARE
"The gang culture seems to be taking on an alarming proportion from the youth in the school ...and filters into communities ...," Ferguson said. He said the resulting gangs which are formed to protect turf, also provide financial support for community members.
The major objective of SSP Ferguson is a significant reduction in major crimes, particularly in sexual offences and homicides, which reached record levels last year.
RAPE ON THE RISE
"Last year 67 per cent of the persons raped were schoolgirls and these incidents were committed mainly by taxi and bus drivers," the commanding officer said. "We hope to have ongoing lectures in schools to address this problem. We are also seeking community support."
The senior s uperintendent mentioned that he would be focussing on a number of measures to help reduce crime in the parish. These include improving police response time to incidents, increasing the capability of the police in the areas of investigating and intelligence gathering and fostering partnerships between the police and civil society.
"I want to establish a tripartite relationship between the police, the community, to include church, community groups and schools, as well as the business sector," he said.
