State of emergency declared for sections of St Andrew

A State of Public Emergency has been declared for the St Andrew South Police Division and sections of the St Andrew Central Police Division.

The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) said the move follows a significant increase in violent criminal activities within these areas, particularly in communities such as Waltham Park Road, Maxfield Avenue, and Waterhouse.

These locations have been identified as hotspots for gang-related warfare which poses public safety risks to residents as well as commuters and bystanders given their use as public thoroughfares, a release from the OPM said.

"The assessment indicates that the current level of violence and criminal activity in these communities is extensive and exceeds the capacity of standard policing measures to effectively stabilise the affected communities and restore public order," it continued.

The boundaries of the State of Public Emergency are defined as follows:

East:  Starting at the foot of Red Hills at the intersection of Perkins Boulevard, Molynes Road and Red Hills Road, extending in a south-easterly direction along Molynes Road to its intersection with Hagley Park Road and Eastwood Park Road. Continuing in a westerly direction along Hagley Park Road to the intersection with Omara Road, and then onto Chisholm Avenue to the point of intersection with Maxfield Avenue.

South: Extending in a south-westerly direction from the intersection of Chisholm Avenue and Maxfield Avenue, along Maxfield Avenue onto East Avenue to the coastline in the vicinity of Petrojam and extending along the said coastline in the vicinity of the Kingston Container Terminal to the Portmore Causeway Bridge.

West: Continuing in a north-westerly direction from the Portmore Causeway Bridge along the Fresh River and the shared parish border of St Andrew and St Catherine to the west of Riverton, and extending to the vicinity of the western most end of Belvedere Road to Ferry secondary road.

North: Extending in an easterly direction along Belvedere Road to Ferry Road to the foot of Red Hills at the intersection of Perkins Boulevard, Molynes Road and Red Hills Road, the start point.

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