MoBay clampdown
Police sweep city in public order, anti-crime offensive
Published:Thursday | April 28, 2022 | 12:10 AMAshley Anguin/Gleaner Writer
AIMING TO cauterise lawlessness in the city of Montego Bay, the police and municipal authorities launched several major operations in St James on Wednesday.
From as early as 6 a.m., the team, which involved the Island Traffic Authority (ITA), converged on the city centre, issuing dozens of tickets to illegal operators.
Deputy Superintendent of Operations Eron James told The Gleaner that the operations targeted criminals, illegal vending, traffic enforcement, and public order.
“A lot of motor vehicle licence plates were taken and a lot of arrests were made. As for the public order anti-vending initiative, we have seized a lot of goods and a targeted operation that took place earlier targeting criminal gangs operating within the township,” Samuels said.
Vehicles were towed and several persons detained.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Dellon Lewis, of the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch, said operations in Kingston and Montego Bay yielded above 200 traffic tickets and resulted in the removal of more than 50 defective vehicles.
Similar operations were undertaken in St Ann, St Elizabeth, Manchester, and Westmoreland.
Theodore Hayles, assistant superintendent of operations for the St James Police Division, disclosed that there were several anti-gang operations within and beyond Montego Bay.
“These were geared at targeting members of the G City Gang, which is having some intra-gang conflicts which are playing out in the town centre,” he said.
“Several persons were arrested for breaches of the Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provisions) Act, commonly known as the Lottery Scam Act. Persons were also arrested for several pounds of ganja and offensive weapons,” Hayles added.