Police intensify efforts to apprehend Gregory Park criminals
Published:Thursday | August 31, 2023 | 12:11 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
VIOLENT CRIMES that have sent shockwaves through some areas in Gregory Park, St Catherine, have prompted intensified police efforts in the area.
Seven murders, four shootings, and two incidents of arson have been reported recently in different sections of the Portmore community.
The most harrowing incident occurred on August 12 when a terrorist attack unfolded on Walkers Avenue in which 11 homes were firebombed, a 24-year-old taxi driver shot and killed, and an elderly woman succumbed to injuries from severe burns.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey, along with his local counterparts, has attributed most of the homicides to ongoing conflicts between rival gangs within the affected communities. He was speaking at a press conference yesterday to update the public on their efforts.
“In response to these criminal activities in the Gregory Park space, the St Catherine South police, with the assistance of the JDF and other formations in the police force, have conducted a number of operational activities, which were ongoing up to the time of the arson attack and murders,” Bailey said.
The major areas of concern, according to Bailey, include Banga Gully, Mexico, Christian Pen, Gulf, Train Line, Walkers Avenue, and Watson Grove.
He said following intensive investigations, detectives were able to clear, by means of arrest, six murders, two shootings, and the Walkers Avenue arson attack.
Swift action
He further disclosed that by taking swift action law enforcement officials have charged two individuals in connection with the heinous Walkers Avenue attack.
Those charged are 24-year-old Nigel McCarty, a motor vehicle mechanic of Christian Pen and Gregory Park, and 21-year-old Odane Fowler o/c Popchow, unemployed of Gregory Park.
The charges filed against McCarty and Fowler are extensive and include two counts of murder, 10 counts of arson, one count of unauthorised possession of ammunition, possession of a prohibited weapon, and involvement in a criminal organisation.
Bailey hinted that this comprehensive law-enforcement response underscored the gravity of the incident and the commitment of the security forces to apprehending all those responsible.
“The police will intensify our operation to apprehend the other persons who are involved in both acts of arson,” Bailey said.