The murder rate in Jamaica inched closer to the record 1,139 of 2001, following Friday night's murder of seven men in Spanish Town and Portmore in St. Catherine, Glendevon and Norwood in St. James and St Andrew.
More than 1,030 persons have been murdered since January and tensions continue to rise among gangs in communities across Kingston, St. Catherine and St. James.Up to late last week, there were clashes between rival gangs in Arnett Gardens in south St. Andrew. On Monday, classes at Charlie Smith High were cancelled after the police reportedly killed two men following an alleged shoot-out in the community.
In the meantime, pressure has also been mounting in downtown Kingston, following a recent resurgence of gang-related violence in the commercial districts. Several businessmen and women are reportedly adopting a wait-and-see attitude regarding opening hours.
In Spanish Town over the past two weeks, at least three women were murdered in different incidents. This is in addition to a number of gang-related deaths in the Old Capital.
Despite the presence of a special crime unit in Montego Bay, the police are stretched with spurts of gang-related violence in a number of inner-city communities. Several curfews have been imposed in surrounding communities and the police continue to maintain a strong presence especially in the war-torn areas.
