Public urged to inform police when hosting gatherings such as wakes

By Prince Moore    

 

Minister of National Security Dr. Horace Chang is urging members of the public to inform the police ahead of time about planned gatherings such as wakes.

 

The recommendation follows the mass shooting on Wednesday morning at a wake in Point Hill, St. Catherine which claimed the life of one man and left seven others nursing gunshot wounds.

 

Dr. Chang said the police were not informed of the gathering at a wake for the grandmother of reggae artiste Christopher Martin.

 

He said it is necessary that the police are aware of certain gatherings for safety purposes. 

 

"There is fear sometime that the police may reject an application for a gathering. That is true because the police have ultimate responsibility for public safety, and at times the police have intelligence that would indicate to them that the level of policing needed to protect people at a gathering is too heavy and therefore it should not be held. That's really why the police refuse a permit," he stressed.  

 

"Otherwise they will in fact take steps to deploy policemen in the area, and sometimes you have to work with the promoters to ensure that they have adequate policing in that situation."

 

Dr. Chang acknowledged that events such as wakes are part of the Jamaican culture, adding that the police "have no interest in disrupting our cultural practices".  

 

Several suspects were detained in connection with Wednesday's early morning shooting.

 

Dr. Chang said one of the two suspected shooters has been arrested.