Low crime figures a sign of the changing times

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One death by drowning and another in a motor vehicle accident competed for news attention with the only two gun killings reported by the police on the weekend, a sign of the changing times.

The St James police said gunmen murdered one man in Montego Bay, while an alleged robber was killed by a licensed firearm holder in Kingston.

 

In comparison, a woman was killed in a motor car collision in Kingston, while a 20-year-old-man lost his life when he drowned at a beach in St Thomas, according to police reports.

Police in Kingston also removed two more illegal firearms and over 80 rounds of ammunition off the streets in separate operations.

That followed on the heels of St James police reports Friday that two guns were recovered after gun battles with alleged gunmen whom they said opened fire at members of a joint police/military team conducting operations in sections of Salt Spring Road and Albion Road in the parish. The two men were killed.

The man killed in the Jamaican capital was identified as 19-year-old Sylvester Rankine of Spinners Lane, Kingston 20. He was found suffering from gunshot wounds on Gilmore Avenue following a robbery in the area.

Police said a firearm holder was returning to his car after stopping at a gas station on Gilmore Avenue when he was pounced upon by two men, one armed with a gun. He was robbed of his jewellery.

The unnamed man retaliated and fired several shots at his attackers, who managed to escape. However, Rankine was later found with gunshot wounds during a search of the area. He was taken to the University Hospital of the West Indies where he died while undergoing treatment.

The police said that a Browning 9 mm pistol with a magazine containing thirteen 9 mm rounds were taken from his body.

Police identified the man killed by gunmen in Montego Bay on Saturday as Rassan Allen, a 28-year-old mechanic of Catherine Hall.

Allen was reportedly found suffering from gunshot wounds on a playing field at Cornwall College, after he was seen conversing with a group of men, who were later seen running away from the scene. He was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Detectives from the Montego Bay Homicide Unit who are investigating said that a suspect had been taken into custody for questioning.

In the car crash, which occurred early yesterday morning, 32-year-old Keisha Thomas of Southern Cross Drive, Harbour View, Kingston 17, who was passenger in one of the two motor cars, died on the spot.

Police reported that about 1:30 am, a Suzuki Baleno motor car with two passengers aboard was travelling on the St Thomas main road when it collided with a Honda Integra motor car that was travelling in the opposite direction with three passengers aboard.

Thomas, who was in the Honda Integra motorcar, died on the spot, while the others who received injuries were taken to the Kingston Public Hospital where they were admitted in serious condition.

The driver of the Suzuki Baleno motor car was treated and released.

Saturday's drowning victim was identified as 20-year-old Romaine Williamson of Dalvey district, Golden Grove, St Thomas.

Police said he went swimming with friends and relatives at Holland Bay Beach in the parish, reportedly got into difficulty and drowned. His body was removed from the water by two fishermen.

Superintendent Merrick Watson, the commander of the St James police division identified the two men killed by the joint police/military team, as 18-year-old hotel employee, Nicholas Miller and 26-year-old Nagasta Longshaw, also called 'Negus'.

The police say two guns, a .38 Beretta pistol and 9 rounds; and a 9mm Berreta pistol with a magazine loaded with 10 rounds, were also recovered.

Watson said the St James police and members of the military were conducting a cordon and search operation in the Albion community about 5:00 am on Friday when they went to a premises and were fired upon by Longshaw.

The fire was returned and Longshaw was hit. He was found clutching a 9mm Beretta pistol.

About 45 minutes later, Watson said, members of the security forces went to premises at Salt Spring Road where they were engaged in a fierce gunbattle allegedly initiated by Miller. Miller was subsequently shot fatally, after which a .38 Beretta pistol was removed from his body, police said.

But, Miller's mother, Rosemarie Vaughns countered the police's claim, alleging that members of the security forces entered her house after they kicked down the gate to the premises and a door to the house.

The distraught mother, who went to the Freeport Police Station late Friday evening to await the release of two of Miller's sons who were detained by the police during the operation, said that despite Miller's pleas that he was a hotel worker and not a gunman, he was shot in cold blood.

In the gun and ammunition find, the police on Saturday seized a .38 revolver during a joint operation by the military and the police in Tamarind Turn in Olympic Gardens, Kingston 11. The illegal firearm was reportedly found buried at the rear of the premises.

Law enforcers also seized two 12-gauge cartridges at premises at Ceiba Crescent in Olympic Gardens.

Four men who were at the premises at Tamarind Turn were arrested and taken into custody for questioning.

In another operation carried out yesterday about 9:00 am at premises at Wellington Street in Kingston, the police seized an AK 47 rifle, a Browning 30 calibre sniper rifle, one Glock 9 mm magazine, two AK 47 magazines, twenty-four 30 calibre cartridges, forty-two 7.62 cartridges, four .380 cartridges, ten 9 mm cartridges and four .45 cartridges.

No one was arrested in connection with the find.

Nationally, police report that murders have dipped by 29 from 120 in June last year to 91 last month. The figures signal a 24 per cent decrease.

When compared to May this year, murders have dipped by 87 from 178 to 91 in June, a 49 per cent drop; shootings dropped from 140 in June last year to 92 in June 2010, a 34 per cent decrease; rape -- down to 48 in June this year from 50 over the corresponding period last year; carnal abuse decreased by 26 per cent from 39 in June last year to 29 in June this year; robberies and break-ins down from 251 cases to 202, a 20 per cent dip and 267 from 330 respectively; and larceny down to 29 last month from 34 over the corresponding period last year.

The usually volatile police divisions of Kingston Western; St Andrew North; St Catherine North; St Catherine South; St James and Clarendon have also experiencd a drop in major crimes, police said.