Major crimes down, robberies spike

Crackdown on lottery scam and drug trade results in shift - St James police

Sheena Gayle, Gleaner Writer

Western Bureau:While major crimes such as murders and shooting are trending down in St James, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Andrew Lewis, head of the St James Police Division, said robberies are on the rise and he believes it is as a result of the fallout in the illicit drug trade and the lottery scam.

Lewis was making a report on the crime situation in the parish at last week Thursday's monthly meeting of the St James Parish Council.

"With the fallout in the drug trade and now the lottery scam, we have seen an increase in robberies and break-ins in St James," the senior officer said, albeit not providing the related statistics. "However, we are developing strategies to address this situation."

Within recent weeks, St James, especially Montego Bay, has been attracting a lot of negative publicity internationally on account of the exploits of scammers who have been preying on unsuspecting American citizens, fleecing them of millions of dollars.

The United States-based CBS network, which recently sent a team of reporters to Jamaica, recently aired a series of programmes highlighting the tourism capital as the hub of the lottery scam, which has been flourishing in many communities in St James.

While expressing concerns about the increase in robberies, Lewis was somewhat relieved that there had been a reduction in murders and shooting incidents up to February, when compared to the same period last year.

"At the end of February 2013, we had 25 murders in comparison to the 38 we had last year during the same period," the senior cop said. "In addition, there has been a 37 per cent reduction in the number of shooting incidents in the parish when compared to the same time last year."

At the end of February 2012, there were 41 reported cases of shooting in St James. Over the comparative period this year, it was cut by almost half, with just 26 reports.

Five months ago, National Security Minister Peter Bunting said the St James Police Division had the highest homicide rate per capita in Jamaica.

However, in responding to the latest statistics revealed by Lewis, Councillor for the Granville Division and Deputy Mayor of Montego Bay, Michael Troupe, said the good news could not have come at a better time for the parish.

"We all know that at this time last year, the Granville division was the hotbed of crime in parish," said Troupe. "I am happy to report that now, Granville is one of the safest communities in St James, thanks to the efforts of the police."