Custos urges rejection of criminals in Clarendon

Custos of  Clarendon William Shagoury has concluded that the crime problem affecting many communities in the parish will only be properly dealt with when residents decide they’ve had enough of it.

Mr Shagoury, speaking Sunday on Radio Jamaica's news review programme, That's a Rap, Mr. Shagoury said, while the authorities are trying to maintain control, residents have a critical role to play.

"The people themselves have to accept that they've had enough, and the people themselves have to revolt against the criminality," he said. 

Mr Shagoury characterised the latest round of violence in Clarendon as puzzling, given that crime in the parish had been trending down, “and all of a sudden it started to spike; it’s like people have gone completely crazy!”

There was nothing to suggest any motive for the killings, he said.

The government on Friday imposed a 96 hour curfew for Central Clarendon, including the community of Effortville where five residents were killed in 48 hours.

National Security Minister Dr. Chang vowed that the security forces will make every effort to apprehend a number of the prime criminal targets.

These were just the latest in a series of horrific killings in the central Jamaica parish.

Milton Tomlinson, Mediation & Intervention Specialist at the Peace Management Initiative, who also spoke on the show, declared that  there will continue to be flare ups of  crime if the root causes are not addressed.