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<span style="font-weight: bold">News Source: OTGNR - </span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Good start to # 2011 ...s (Observer)...</span>
THE police ushered in the New Year with no reported cases of gun murders for the first time in three years.Yesterday, Deputy Police Commissioner Glenmuir Hinds told the Observer that this was as a result of the continuation of the hard work the Force put in over the past couple of months."The police have being carrying out a range of activities for several months, and the latest results is linked to a combination of factors," Hinds said.The fact that the guns remained silent for the first two days of 2011, was in stark contrast to the first days of 2010, 2009 and 2008 -- all years which were ushered in by the sound of barking guns and a trail of blood left by marauding gunmen.At the start of 2010, for example, four persons were shot dead by gunmen in separate incidents. The year 2009 -- one of the bloodiest years on record -- and 2008 were also ushered in, in a similar fashion.This year, the first reported deaths were that of Ajani Brown, five, who was crushed by a remote-controlled gate at a car wash in Ocho Rios; and Kareem Powell, 23, who was beaten to death by a mob in St Mary.Hinds, meanwhile, is "determined" that the efforts that "have already started to bring about results" would continue.He listed among those measures implemented in 2010, the thrust to target gangs and hot spot areas as well as the control of public spaces and increase police presence, particularly during the holiday season.Police Commissioner Owen Ellington also issued a similar warning, noting that despite a 15 per cent drop in crime in 2010, the police would this year intensify their efforts. Ellington has also set a target of March this year for the disruption and/ or dismantling of the island's most powerful gangs.Unofficial data show that up to December 19, 2010 there were 1,380 reported cases of murders compared to 1,680 for the similar period the previous year.
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Good start to # 2011 ...s (Observer)...</span>
THE police ushered in the New Year with no reported cases of gun murders for the first time in three years.Yesterday, Deputy Police Commissioner Glenmuir Hinds told the Observer that this was as a result of the continuation of the hard work the Force put in over the past couple of months."The police have being carrying out a range of activities for several months, and the latest results is linked to a combination of factors," Hinds said.The fact that the guns remained silent for the first two days of 2011, was in stark contrast to the first days of 2010, 2009 and 2008 -- all years which were ushered in by the sound of barking guns and a trail of blood left by marauding gunmen.At the start of 2010, for example, four persons were shot dead by gunmen in separate incidents. The year 2009 -- one of the bloodiest years on record -- and 2008 were also ushered in, in a similar fashion.This year, the first reported deaths were that of Ajani Brown, five, who was crushed by a remote-controlled gate at a car wash in Ocho Rios; and Kareem Powell, 23, who was beaten to death by a mob in St Mary.Hinds, meanwhile, is "determined" that the efforts that "have already started to bring about results" would continue.He listed among those measures implemented in 2010, the thrust to target gangs and hot spot areas as well as the control of public spaces and increase police presence, particularly during the holiday season.Police Commissioner Owen Ellington also issued a similar warning, noting that despite a 15 per cent drop in crime in 2010, the police would this year intensify their efforts. Ellington has also set a target of March this year for the disruption and/ or dismantling of the island's most powerful gangs.Unofficial data show that up to December 19, 2010 there were 1,380 reported cases of murders compared to 1,680 for the similar period the previous year.