Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson says the AK-47 is the weapon of choice for criminals. This weapon is capable of discharging up to 600 rounds per minute. The police have seized 13 assault rifles since the start of the year.

Heat on lawmakers, judges as cops put brakes on crime

2 Feb 2022/Kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com

DECLARING THAT the police are thwarting “pain-for-pain” vendettas, Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson is turning the screws on the legislature and judiciary to plug existing loopholes being exploited by criminals.

Murders have declined, year-onyear, by six per cent; shootings by 20 per cent; robberies by 14 per cent; rape by 67 per cent; and break-ins by 11 per cent, amounting to an overall 19 per cent reduction in major crimes.

Anderson said though the gains were negligible, the data were a reflection of the work of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) over the years and the pooling of resources, personnel, equipment, and technology.

“We will continue to do what we do to keep that trend going, but there are other actors and other players and it operates within a context,” the police commissioner told journalists during a virtual JCF press briefing on Tuesday.

He said legislative matters surrounding amendments to the firearms and bail acts have been put on the table as possible tools that can support the efforts of the security forces, as well as the issue of sentencing regimes.

The police have consistently pressed for tougher penalties for persons caught in possession of illegal firearms and have also argued that persons charged for certain crimes remain behind bars ahead of trial.

At a meeting with Cabinet last week, the commissioner and Chief of Defence Staff, Rear Admiral Antonette Wemyss Gorman, are said to have outlined their recommendations on how the security forces can be assisted in crime-fighting.

Anderson also wants attention to be directed towards the penal system, which releases roughly 1,000 persons annually, 40 per cent of whom are alleged to reoffend in three years.

“So there are other parts of the system that need to work. I can assure the Jamaican public, however, that our part of this process is being worked, is being worked effectively and we’re on-boarding technology,” said Anderson.

His comments follow on the news of a 17 per cent increase in the seizure of illegal firearms for January by the police when compared to a similar period last year.

He said of the 88 seized, 13 were assault rifles with the AK-47, capable of discharging up to 600 rounds per minute, deemed to be one of the weapons of choice for criminals who murdered 137 Jamaicans last month.

The assault rifle, designed for soldiers who have to endure terrible conditions on the battlefield, is light, can carry a lot of ammunition, and is able to withstand harsh weather and poor handling.

“This is a weapon of war. This is not the normal weapon that a robber in another country would use. This is a weapon of war and this is what is in our communities and this is what our people are facing,” said Anderson, adding that the weapon can sell locally for anywhere between $500,000 and $1 million.

“We operate in a framework and environment of guns, gunmen and gangs who want to create death, mayhem and pain. Some of these killings are just designed to create pain and clearly, they trade in pain and fear.”

He said Jamaica has reached a crossroads in terms of the level of crime being committed, arguing in the same breath that citizens will now have to choose.

“What choice are you going to make? Are you going to support what we are doing? Are you going to build confidence in what we are doing [or] are you going to harbour as a community people who are known gunmen?” said Anderson.

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