No resources for SOE in Clarendon

Mayor of May Pen Winston Maragh, and Custos of Clarendon William Shagoury both accept that although the crime situation in the parish is alarming, Hanover, St James and Westmoreland also require states of public emergency (SOE).

A declaration was made yesterday by Prime Minister Andrew Holness for the three parishes to install an initial 14-day SOE.

When contacted yesterday, Maragah told THE CENTRAL STAR: "To tell the truth, I was hoping I was in the three or added to make the fourth. The prime minister has been advised by the Security Ministry and the security technocrats, who am I to say otherwise? I am hoping though that next time around, Clarendon will be included."

Shagoury said: "I feel the other parishes need it more than we do. I believe we are in control of things.

Shagoury, however, said when things are brought into perspective, it would make better sense to focus on those areas because of the economic ties.

He said: "It's a tourist area down there and they have to protect that. We have been maintaining a certain control because things are not as bad as they were say two years ago. Things are trending down. We just need some trade school. They (youth) are not educated, so just open the trade school and get them working."

Extremely bad

The Government yesterday admitted that the crime situation in Clarendon is extremely bad, and that the parish could do with a SOE.

However, Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson said that "there is only so much resources that we have".

"Clarendon is having significant challenges as well. Perhaps, if we had as much resources as we would like, we would have done that one as well, because it could lend itself to one," Anderson said.

The SOEs declared are with immediate effect. Anderson said the western parishes have been experiencing significant levels of criminality.

Some 49 persons have been murdered in St James since the start of the year, while there have been 43 murders in Westmorland, and 13 in Hanover.

Clarendon, recorded 133 murders last year, and has 37 murders so far in 2019.