The community of Granville in St James remains tense as the police keep a close watch over the area following the murders of three men in separate incidents on the weekend.

The men were killed just hours apart under similar circumstances.

Chairman of the Granville Community Development Committee, O Dave Allen, says the situation has left residents in shock.

He says while there have been incidents in Pit Four and Retirement, which form part of the Granville Police Division, there have been no murders in Granville in over nine months.

One of the murders was committed in Granville, while the other two occurred in Pit Four and Retirement.

Mr Allen says sections of the division have been under curfew since the incident.

He says many communities in the division, particularly Pit Four, are blighted and called for them to be given urgent attention as squatter communities may be used as a shield by criminals.