Beheadings concern JLP

The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) yesterday expressed deep concern over what it said was an "emerging trend of beheadings" and other gruesome activities being perpetrated by notorious gangs.

In a release, the party said: "Such acts are designed and calculated to drive fear into the populace and reverse the tremendous gains by our security forces in combating organised crime and dismantling criminal gangs. These acts are a deliberate challenge to the safety and security of the state and amount to terrorism."

According to the JLP: "Jamaica will not cower in the face of such brutality and wanton disregard for human life being displayed by members of criminal gangs."

In its release, the party also took aim at the Opposition Peoples' National Party (PNP), whose general secretary and spokesman on national security Peter Bunting, dissociated the party from the notorious Clansman gang, said to be responsible for three beheadings in the community of Lauriston in St Catherine.

Revise position

JLP public relations manager Andrew Holness told The Gleaner that Bunting has often attributed the reductions in major crimes over the past year to the security forces' dismantling of the Shower Posse.

"He must now revise this position, because it seems the Clansman gang is threatening to increase our murder rate and put us back to a dark point where we should never return," Holness said.

The Clansman gang has been known to support the PNP and, according to the JLP's release, "It is not enough for Mr Bunting to merely disavow the PNP's affiliations with the Clansman gang and dissociate itself from its gruesome actions, when the connection and association is well documented and deeply rooted."