St Ann police frustrated

The Police in St Ann said they are frustrated over the lack of cooperation they are receiving from victims and witnesses of crime in the parish.



They claim that the situation has allowed some criminals to roam freely.



The police have complained that despite efforts to apprehend criminal suspects, they are later forced to release them based on a lack of evidence.



They said the lack of proper identification facilities and fear of reprisal from the criminal elements and or their associates are among the major reasons given by residents for their unwillingness to help the police in their investigations.



Last weekend the police in St Ann’s Bay were forced to set free two men, who were held in connection with the armed robbery at a Digicel store in the town, earlier this month.



Investigators said the store owner and employees at the establishment were unwilling to give statements.



One senior detective said that the government and the leadership of the Constabulary Force must be blamed for some of the problems affecting the work of the police in St Ann.



He cited the absence of a one-way mirror in identification parades for more than five years as one example.



The detective said as a result witnesses are forced to face the suspects and many are not willing to do so.



President of the St Ann Chamber of Commerce, Norma Walters, said steps are being taken to have a one-way mirror installed at the Ocho Rios station.



The Chamber has in recent weeks been expressing concern about the rising crime rate in the parish.