The Manchester police high command says migratory criminals and manpower shortage are the major challenges to their anti-crime initiatives.

"Shortage of manpower is a general problem in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) at this time," Superintendent Martin Bayliss tells The Gleaner. "Like every other division, we are affected, because we don't have enough personnel to patrol the commercial area and the residential communities as we would want to."

According to Bayliss, a 35-year veteran crime fighter who has served in the urban divisions of Kingston Central, St Andrew South and St Andrew Central, as well as Jamaica Police Academy, believes most of the criminals are from other parishes.

Two firearms seized

This premise was substantiated in a recent incident in which four men who robbed a bar in the district of Mount Olivet in the parish were held and two firearms seized.

"Two of the young men are students of Vere Technical High (Clarendon), one is from Glenmuir High School (Clarendon), while the eldest is 24 years old, who is out (on bail) on two gun charges. None is from the parish," Bayliss said emphatically.

Since January, 14 murders have been committed in the parish, eight more than for the corresponding period last year. According to the police, most of these murders stemmed from domestic disputes, with the knife being the weapon of choice. While unwilling to disclose the figures, the top cop says all other offences, including house-breaking and shooting, are down in the parish.

There are no gangs operating in the parish, but the police hierarchy has been focusing on areas such as the bus park and a section of the market called Bronx, where illicit activity is reportedly rife.

Despite the challenges, the police believe that the partnership brokered in a 2007 bipartisan memorandum of understanding with the Closed To Crime Initiative, a group of business and civic groups, will continue to bear fruit.

"The Closed to Crime Initiative (CTCI) has assisted us greatly," the superintendent says. "The men are really motivated, it is evidence of what can be achieved when the community partners with the police to fight against criminality.

"The investigative unit has been upgraded, the District Intelligence Unit has a spanking new home and we have also been given a motor vehicle."

Bayliss is of the opinion that the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) will give the police an advantage over criminals.

"With the closed-circuit television, we will have a better means of managing the activities in the commercial area, as well as pay attention to the troubled spots."

"On most occasions when these migrants come into an area, criminal activity increases, so we will be on the look out for them."

Cameras are critical

Bayliss - Call Superintendent Martin Bayliss at 819-4266 (cellular) or 962-2888 (office).

Director of the CTCI, Robert Cunningham, agrees. "The cameras are critical (as they would help) to identify people who are coming through this town," he says, "Extortion has not reached the level of (what is taking place in) May Pen and Spanish Town, but there are persons (in the Mandeville business community) who have been approached, because as the economic activity increased, so is the number of transit people."

"Over the Christmas holidays, there were multiple cambio-type and retail-type burglaries that appro-priately placed CCTV cameras would help to apprehend those criminals," Cunningham argues.

Bayliss, while commending civic groups for assisting the police, says the citizens need to do more.

"There are a number of times when a stranger comes in our community and no one knows anything about them, but they welcome him in their neighbour-hood without asking the police to do background checks. Citizens must be aware that they have a vital role to play in policing their communities.

"While we have a large number of neighbourhood watch organisations in the parish, a great amount of them have been dormant for a while," he continued. " ... Despite our efforts to renew interest, we are experiencing resistance in a few areas, as residents are a bit reluctant for meetings to be held at their homes, afraid of being branded," the policeman added.

mark.titus@gleanerjm.com