Dave Lindo, Sunday Gleaner Writer

New head of the Area Three police, Acting Assistant Commissioner Derrick 'Cowboy' Knight, has vowed to tighten up the policing in the three parishes under his command in the coming weeks.

"Robust police, in-your-face policing, not policing that is abusive, that breaches human rights wishes, but policing that wherever you go police is there," declared Knight as he addressed the business community at a meeting of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce late last week.

"You (law abiding citizens) will be inconvenienced, but we are asking for your full coorperation," added Knight.

He declared that policing strategies used in the crime hot spots of Kingston and Spanish Town, St Catherine will be employed in Manchester.

Knight, who is now in charge of policing in Manchester, St Elizabeth and Clarendon, promised the business operators and residents of Mandeville a happier future.

He said he will be taking a holistic approach to policing.

"I will be forging partnerships, from the common man to the highest person. I am speaking about from the vendors, farmers taxi men, minibus men, everybody will be a part of the process."

Knight named the lotto scam, the drugs for guns and extortion as the major crimes affecting the three parishes.

According to Knight persons from Spanish Town affiliated to the One Order and Clansman gangs and criminals from St James and Westmoreland have been moving into the area under his command and causing problems.

For those persons he had a clear warning: "The message is don't take the toll road, don't come across we will be there waiting on you."

In the meantime, Superintendent Marlon Nesbeth who dubbed himself 'the deputy sheriff' was also introduced to the business community as the new head of the Manchester Police Division.

Minister of National Security Peter Bunting, who also addressed the meeting of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, noted that while crime rate in Jamaica decreased in 2012, the murder rate in Manchester increased by 25 per cent with 40 persons killed. This was eight more than 2011.

Bunting expressed his confidence in Knight and Nesbeth and declared that he wants Manchester to rival Portland as the parish with the lowest number of murders in the country.