Portmore police, stakeholders take aggressive action to tackle crime

The St Catherine South Police today unveiled a business watch plan to tackle the increasing criminality plaguing the municipality of Portmore. 

With a focus on disrupting the 18 gangs now operating in the area, the plan will include a more precise, surgical approach in targeting the business and financial corridors as well as a quick response team to cover more areas.

The business watch initiative will include the installation of CCTV cameras with facial recognition and license plate reader features at points of entry and exit in and out of Portmore.

Portmore Mayor Leon Thomas has pledged $500,000 towards purchasing the cameras, while Waterford councillor and businessman Fenley Douglas pledged $100,000.

Head of the St Catherine South Police, Senior Superintendent Christopher Phillips, who convened a meeting with financial institution heads, business leaders and other stakeholders at the Greater Portmore Police Station (100 Man) today, said there is strong support for the initiative.

"We went for three hours and most of the discussions were centred around the programme. The response from the business community is overwhelming," Phillips said.

He disclosed that a zoning of the business and financial corridors has already started, and the police have been convening meetings with stakeholders to perfect the plan.

"We are also getting into more community engagement as part of the strategy to encourage community participation and allow communities to see how crime impacts their lives,” said the SSP.

President of the Portmore Chamber of Commerce, Norman Walker, said the business community welcomed the strategies outlined by Phillips.

"We recognise that organised crime seems to be settling in and we really have to find a way to keep ahead of this scourge," Walker noted.

He requested that the chamber of commerce be given the task to manage the CCTV cameras.

The crime fighting initiative comes amid the fear that is gripping businesses and residents in Portmore, after two major attacks in three weeks on two Beryllium private security cash transit vehicles delivering money to JN and Scotiabank ATMs.

Between both incidents, five security guards were injured; and one was shot and killed in the first attack. An estimated combined $33 million was taken by the robbers. 

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