Updated | Chang announces 96-hour curfew for Central Clarendon
Published:Friday | December 18, 2020 | 3:38 PM
National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang has announced a 96-hour curfew for Central Clarendon.
It will include the community of Effortville, where there have been five murders in the last 24 hours.
The curfew began at 5 o'clock Friday afternoon.
According to Chang, in the last 48 hours, seven homicides have been recorded in that area of Clarendon.
“We are now going to take steps to institute a security curfew beyond the Disaster Risk Management curfew and we are seeking the full support of the business community because we know it will disrupt commerce, but the gang war will do worst disruption to commerce,” Chang told reporters at a press conference held at the Pier One restaurant in Montego Bay, St James, this afternoon.
In announcing the new nightly curfew, Chang said the uptick in murders are as a result of intense gang conflicts involving the Bush-Man gang.
While noting that the gang has been significantly degraded, Chang stated that they are still deadly in their operations.
NOTE: In an earlier version of this story, Chang had said the curfew would start at 9 p.m. However, he has since released a statement saying it would start at 5 p.m.
Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.