Cops urge media to give greater context to St James’ crime stats as Dream heads west

WESTERN BUREAU:

With Dream Weekend set to debut in Montego Bay, St James, Senior Superintendent of Police Eron Samuels is urging media houses to provide greater context when reporting crime statistics, insisting St James’ security gains deserve equal attention.

Addressing Wednesday night’s Dream Weekend launch at Pier One, Samuels took issue with what he said was the way St James’ crime figures were sometimes presented, arguing that comparisons with the Corporate Area failed to account for Kingston being divided into six police divisions while St James comprises only one.

“The city of Kingston has six divisions. Montego Bay has one division, the St James Division, and we’re looking at the murder figures for one division in St James versus six,” he said.

Referring to a recent Gleaner report highlighting St James as the police division with the highest murder tally, Samuels argued that the figures should be viewed in a broader context.

“I saw The Gleaner…saying there were some disappointing figures in St James,” he said. “Unfortunately, after Hurricane Melissa, we saw an increase in interpersonal incidents.”

The police commander said the parish had recorded only a marginal increase in murders this year and maintained that Montego Bay remained “the safest city in the Caribbean”.

He recalled that when he took command of the St James Division in 2022 as operations officer, his primary objective was to reduce violent crime to create an environment where the parish could prosper economically.

“When I came to St James, I had one intention – to bring murders down to a state where economically St James will thrive,” Samuels said, adding that by this time in 2022 the division had recorded about 140 murders, compared with significantly fewer today.

The Gleaner article, drawing from the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Serious Crime Statistics for the period January 1 to June 20, reported that St James had recorded 35 murders, nine more than the corresponding period last year, making it the country’s highest-ranking police division for murders.

REPORT FINDINGS

The report also noted that shootings in St James had declined from 27 to 24 over the similar period. During the St James Municipal Corporation’s monthly meeting in May, Samuels attributed 11 of the murders to interpersonal disputes, eight to gang-related conflicts and seven to criminal activity.

On Wednesday, the senior officer said perceptions of safety were critical to the parish’s continued economic recovery and ability to attract major events.

“We want everybody to come on board to ensure that we sell Montego Bay in that way, and we want all our media houses to understand the important role you play in selling that story,” he said.

“If Montego Bay was not safe, there would be no Dream Weekend coming to Montego Bay.”

Dream Weekend, which will run from July 30 to August 3, is being staged in Montego Bay for the first time after years in Negril. Organisers say the five-day festival is expected to attract thousands of local and overseas patrons and will feature performances by Dexta Daps, Alkaline, Govana, Tommy Lee Sparta, Shaniel Muir, Elephant Man and General B, among other acts.

Samuels said the police had developed an extensive security plan with the organisers to ensure the safe movement of patrons throughout the festival.

“The police will be out in our numbers,” he said.

He added that visitors should feel secure from the moment they arrive in St James.

“Our aim is to ensure that persons come… the thousands of persons who will be coming to St James, the minute they land in St James, they will feel just like everybody else in St James knows that feeling of safety and security.”

Samuels said Dream Weekend’s impact would extend far beyond entertainment, providing a boost for hotels, Airbnb operators, transportation providers, restaurants and other businesses as the parish continues its recovery from Hurricane Melissa.

“We understand the importance of entertainment to the country and to St James,” he said.

“The amount of economic activity that will take place will cause a reassurance in terms of the economic growth in St James.

“We are up to the task. We guarantee that you will have a safe experience whilst you are here in Dream Weekend in Montego Bay.”

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com