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Murders rise in St Mary

Published:Wednesday | September 8, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Kevin Gordon (left), WiMax broadband engineer; Prime Minister Bruce Golding (second left); Daryl Vaz (centre), minister with responsibility for Information and telecommunications; and Jacqui Burrell-Clarke, Digicel Jamaica corporate affairs manager, listen keenly as Mark Linehan, Digicel Jamaica CEO, explains the telecommunications firm's newest technology, Digicel 4G Broadband. Linehan has also announced the introduction of its Broadband 4G On the Go USB modem, which is available in select Digicel Dealer stores as of today. - Contributed

A SHARP 63 per cent increase in murders in St Mary, when compared with the similar period last year, has jolted the police into swift action as they craft social-intervention strategies aimed at reducing domestic killings in the parish.

Last year, the police were able to confine the number of murders in St Mary to 14, but with four months remaining before the end of the year, 22 people have already died violently.

The community of Highgate is still reeling from a double murder on Monday, when a man attacked his mother and killed his grandmother and her helper.

Deputy superintendent of police for the parish, Edgar Brown, said an increase in domestic murders was causing grave concern for the police.

"It has not escaped our attention and we are now making every effort to place more emphasis on family disputes and dispute resolution," he told The Gleaner yesterday.

Financial assistance needed

According to Brown, financial assistance was being sought from the Community Safety and Security unit to stage mediation seminars in communities across St Mary. The police will also be inviting resource persons from the Peace and Love in Society programme to impart mediation skills to both students and adults.

A student empowerment programme designed for school resource officers in St Mary is to be launched shortly at the Islington High School.

The programme, developed by Constable Hodel Harris, will target students who display antisocial behaviour.

"We'll be working with them and we have resource persons who will talk with the group and take them out on educational field trips, to the prisons, to the university and even at our conflict mediation seminars," she explained.

Firearms seized

Meanwhile, Brown revealed that the St Mary police had recovered 20 firearms since the start of the year. This represents a 100 per cent increase over the 10 seized in the parish by lawmen last year.

Up to September 2009, the police seized 37 rounds of ammunition, compared with the recovery of 236 to date this year.

Brown said the police have been carrying out increased cordon and searches in the main towns since May, as they move against migrating criminals.

In the Highgate double murder, 72-year-old Ruby White and her 54-year-old helper, Philomenia Spence, otherwise called 'Dundun', both of Harmony Hall, were stabbed to death in the community.

Another woman, who is the mother of the suspect in custody, was also injured in the incident.