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ZOSO IN PLACE

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GATE FLY: The entrance to Katan Lane in Mount Salem, one of the lanes which had been manned by police and soldiers since September 1, is now without barricades and checkpoints, as is the case with all the others when the Western Mirror visited the community yesterday, Thursday. Phillip Green photo
  • Committee meets today in Mt. Salem

Barrington Flemming
Staff Reporter

Superintendent Stephanie Lindsay, Head of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), has brushed aside as rumours reports indicating that the security forces have pulled up and left Mt. Salem, St. James, site of the first Zone of Special Operations (ZOSO).

Reports had surfaced indicating that members of the security forces had left based on a mass reduction in their numbers and deployment in the community.

However, when contacted on Thursday, Superintendent Lindsay denied that the police and soldiers had left, but had only changed their mode of operations, based on the fact that the ZOSO was now moving into the social intervention segment of the programme.
“The police and the soldiers have not left; what has happened is that they have shifted into a different modality of operations but are still operating as a zone – if it becomes necessary then they will lock it down again to impose a curfew if necessary. Sometimes what they do is remove some of the check points and go for more patrolling – so they remove some of the restrictions and do adjustments from time to time,” Superintendent Lindsay explained.
Meanwhile, a closed-door meeting of the 24-member ZOSO Social Intervention Committee will be held this morning at 11 o’clock in Mt. Salem.

SOCIAL INTERVENTION

Omar Sweeney, Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) the agency charged with implementing the social intervention aspect of ZOSO, said the meeting will seek to finalise the timeline and the scope of these medium-term intervention strategies or those to be implemented over the next three to six months.
“We have taken an approach where community leadership is at the front of the process and so we have opened a communication channel there. So this is a process which I hope will be completed by the end of this month, which will be the first 30 days of the extension. After this, we should be in a position to begin the implementation,” Sweeney explained.

He said in interim, JSIF would continue its registration of young people in the community to have them enrolled in training programmes, and would, in conjunction with the National Work Agency, effect drain-cleaning programmes.
Mr. Sweeney said other infrastructure works are needed, as well as retaining walls to be constructed.“We have close to sixty persons on short term employment as we engage in the initial intervention aspect of the programme,” he disclosed.
Quizzed as to whether there was a budget for the infrastructure aspect of the ZOSO, Mr. Sweeney explained that each agency, including the Heart Trust and JSIF, would come to the programme with an established budget and would therefore tailor their budget by way of priority to suit the needs of the community and its residents.

‘Supermarket Killer’ strikes again

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Noelita Lawrence
Staff Reporter 

A notorious killer, who frequents sections of Sav-la-Mar, and who is wanted for murders and shootings with intent in Westmoreland, has struck again.

The killer, identified by the police as Davion Brown, also known as ‘Balti’ and who frequents Hudson Street, Church Lincoln and Sterling Street in Grange Hill, reportedly gunned down a man on Tuesday, November 14.

His latest victim has been identified as Devon Denton, otherwise called ‘Pongy’, unemployed of Sterling Street, Grange Hill.

According to reports from the communication arm of Jamaica Constabulary Force (CCU), Denton was standing along Lewis Street in Sav, when the accused, known to him as ‘Balti’, approached and shot him several times in the upper body.

Denton was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Detectives say three 9MM spent shells were taken from the scene, but they are yet to establish a motive for the killing.

Brown is also wanted in connection with a daring daylight supermarket shooting in Westmoreland earlier this year.

In a video of the incident released to the public, a man identified as ‘Balti’ was seen following a man around before pumping several shots into him as he moved through an isle in the supermarket.

Meanwhile, as the gun violence continues, another man, a 40-year-oldfish vendor, was shot and wounded in the New Market area of Westmoreland, also on Tuesday.

In this instance, the wounded man was outside a pool bar with other patrons when several shots were heard.

When the shootings stopped, three men, one known by his alias ‘Cow Fox’, was seen walking away from the lane close to the bar on foot armed with guns.

A subsequent check found the vendor suffering from gunshot wounds to the right side of his head.

He was taken to the hospital where he was treated and admitted in serious but stable condition.

Bloody St. James

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Garvin Wood

The last four days have seen several persons shot and killed in the bloodstained parish of St. James.

Among those murdered are 47-year-old Melton Minto, unemployed of Guilsboro, St. James and North Hampton, St. Elizabeth, 26-year-old Michael Norman Smith, a construction worker of Reading, 34-year-old Lionel Blake, labourer of Upper King Street and 32-year-old Gavin Wood, a mechanic of Campbell’s Lane, Mount Salem, all in Montego Bay.

The Western Mirror also understands that a man was shot and killed in Norwood. However, police were unable to confirm.

In the case of Smith, the construction worker of Reading, he was shot dead by unknown assailants in Capture Land, Providence Heights, Flanker on Saturday, November 11.

According to the Coral Gardens Police, about 12:45 p.m., they responded to several explosions coming from the area and discovered Smith with gunshot wounds to the upper body along the side of a gully.

He was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

MURDER ON KING STREET

King Street was the scene of a killing on Monday morning, November 13.

In that instance, Blake was gunned down by unknown assailants.

The Police say they are combing for clues surrounding his killing.

Reports from Barnett Street Police suggest that just after 6 a.m., Blake was walking along King Street when he was pounced upon by armed men who shot him several times.

He was found on his back along the roadway with wounds to the upper body.

MURDER IN GUILSBORO

In the meantime, the Amity Hall Police say Minto lost his life to unknown assailants about 7 a.m.

The Police report that Minto’s body was found by his brother on Sunday, November 12.

Reports are that Minto was last seen in the Sign area about 8:30 on Saturday evening and attempts by his brother to reach his cellphone subsequently went unanswered.

His brother went to check the following day and noticed that the front door to the dwelling was opened. He later observed the body of his brother lying on his side on the bed.

The police were alerted.

And, Wood was shot dead along Princess Street last Friday.

He was killed by men travelling in a motorcar.

Reports from the Barnett Street Police are that about 8:40 p.m., Wood was among a group of persons at a shop when a white Toyota Axio drove up and men opened fire at the crowd.

When the shooting subsided, Wood was found suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

 

 

‘Mad man’ attacks schoolgirl

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The scene where the parent was attacked and shot along Water Lane in Montego Bay
  • Parent shot at school

Up to press time, a seventh-grade student of St. James High School was hospitalized after she was reportedly attacked by a man of unsound mind, who was in turn set upon and badly beaten by a mob on Tuesday afternoon.

The schoolgirl was allegedly attacked on Corinaldi Avenue by the mentally challenged man, who reportedly hit her in the head with a piece of iron and ran. The man was chased by a mob which cornered him on Barnett Street, where he was severely beaten and stabbed. He was rescued by the police.

Meanwhile, a man is now in hospital after he was shot whilst attempting to pick up a child at a basic school along Water Lane in Montego Bay on Tuesday afternoon.

The man is said to be in critical condition after he was pounced upon by unknown assailants and shot multiple times. At the time, the man was said to be picking up his son from the educational institution when men alighted from a vehicle, shot him several times and then made good their escape.

Yellow caution tape and a contingent of police personnel greeted parents and guardians who rushed to claim their wards. Blood stains and the hat of the injured man were also evident at the scene.

A source at the Early Childhood institution revealed that usually, the gates would have been closed but due to the rain, it was open to facilitate easier access to pick up the children.

Several persons who braved the rain for a peek expressed dismay at how things are progressing with the murder rate, while others were left wondering what the children must have gone through in seeing someone get shot right in their play area.

The incident took place around 2:15 p.m.

TRAGEDY

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Shante Rose

Barrington Flemming
Staff Reporter

Tragedy struck for two families in Glendevon, Montego Bay, on Monday morning leaving two persons dead, when a schoolgirl and a man were mowed down along Felicity Road (Blood Lane) in the community. Two other persons were also injured.

The deceased have been identified as 15-year-old Green Pond High School student, Shante Rose, and 52-year-old Franklyn Hylton, also known as ‘Shortie’, compressor operator, both of Blood Lane, Glendevon, while the injured are Shante’s mother and sister.Shante’s sister, who is also an eighth grade student at the school, is said to be in critical condition in hospital.

Franklyn Hylton

An eyewitness, speaking on condition of anonymity, reports that at minutes to 8 o’clock, the mother was accompanying her two daughters to get a taxi for school, when on reaching a section of the road, a white SUV being driven by a woman, said to be a nurse, attempted to overtake another vehicle, when it hit into a bump along the road, lost control and slammed into the group from behind.

The driver reportedly tried to swerve the vehicle into another direction, when it fell into a pothole, a tyre blew out and the car careened further down the road, hitting Mr. Hylton and dragging him under the vehicle.  The vehicle came to a stop when the air bag was deployed.

The eyewitness further reports that an angry mob set upon the vehicle, hurling stones at it, smashing the wind screens and shouting expletives at the driver, who was later rescued by police personnel, who were early on the scene.

Meanwhile, OraineEbanks, Vice Principal of Green Pond High School, says the mood at the institution is sombre and calm as a number of teachers and students are still grieving for Shante Rose.

Mr. Ebanks said: “It was a tragic end to the life of such a promising student whose academic performance was celebrated recently when she was promoted to a higher stream. She was a people person who was loved by all. The teachers are shaken even more so than some students”, he explained.

A trauma team from the Ministry of Education Youth and Information, visited the school on Tuesday, and conducted counselling sessions with both students and teachers.

Nail Tech, customer killed

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Dawnette Shettleworth

Noelita Lawrence
Staff Reporter

A popular Nail Technician and one of her customers were brutally murdered in the Catherine Hall area of Montego Bay on Monday afternoon. A third person, a male, who was also in the shop, located at Lot 546, was also shot and seriously injured.

The dead women have been identified as 41-year-old Cleopatra Fletcher, otherwise called ‘Keisha’, Nail Technician of Catherine Hall, and 52-year-old Dawnette Shettleworth of West Green, and an employee of a coffee shop at the Sangster International Airport.
‘Keisha’ is the daughter of a popular Montego Bay personality called ‘Ma Barker’ ‘Shower Mumma’ and ‘Dawn’.

Cleopatra Fletcher o/c ‘Keisha’

Reports reaching the Western Mirror are that about 5:30 p.m. ‘Keisha’ was working on Dawnette’s nails when a lone gunman, dressed in a hoody, entered the nail shop and opened fire.
The women ran from the shop in a bid to escape, but were cornered outside and shot several times. ‘Keisha’ was shot in the head.
The male, said to be a JUTA tour operator, reportedly went to the assistance of the injured women and was shot. He remains hospitalized in stable condition after he received gunshot wounds to the neck, back and left hand.

Monday’s killings took place at the same location where Omar ‘King Evil’ Lewis was gunned down three weeks ago (October 25). ‘King Evil’ was the reputed ‘don’ of Canterbury.

2017 UWA Breast Cancer Pink Cheque Award

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Miss Jacqueline Campbell with family and friends

The Ultimate Wellness Association (UWA) continued its tradition of awarding the UWA Breast Cancer $100,000 Pink Cheque Award to a Breast Cancer Fighter and Survivor. The Award was presented at the El Greco Resort in Montego Bay recently to 51-year-old Jacqueline Campbell who is a Breast Cancer Survivor for 8 years. She was ecstatic as she was awarded with a cheque of $100,000 from the Founder of the UWA Breast Cancer Foundation, Dr. Bithiah Gedaliah.

Dr. Bithiah Gedaliah, UWA Breast Cancer Foundation

Ultimate Wellness Association was founded 4 years ago by Gedaliah, who is a Breast Cancer Survivor herself. After experiencing the disease and going through the experience of having a Double Mastectomy, Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy, Bithiah desired a platform on which to reach out to others like herself and encourage them along their path. With that in mind, she became passionate and began her work.

This year the nomination for The UWA Pink Cheque Award was open nationwide and many nominations were received by the foundation. They came from concerned family members, friends and patients themselves from all over Jamaica and was kept confidential.

Ms. Campbell, wife and mother of 4, was one of those stories and to her surprise she was selected¬ as the 2017 UWA Pink Cheque Awardee and could not wait to tell her story hoping to help someone.

In an interview, she elaborated on her story from discovering a lump on self-examination, her Stage 3 diagnosis in 2007, to her treatment and surgery that were done at the Cornwall Regional Hospital headed by General Surgeon, on the case, Dr. Delroy Fray. In her interview she explained that despite the initial hiccups with her diagnosis, her persistence helped to lead her in the right direction to the care of the Cornwall Regional Hospital. She stated that support for church members, husband, children and friends was what kept her through her ordeal. She said, “I was not allowed to feel down because of the support I got.” She further explained the main reason she got support was because she was verbal about her condition and encouraged others to not be quiet, it is nothing to be ashamed of, and in being vocal is how you get help

Ms. Campbell’s gratitude and excitement was endless, and explained how much this money will help her and her family. She was surrounded by friends and family on receiving The UWA Pink Cheque Award which was presented to her by Dr. Yochel Williams.  They expressed how much they were excited, encouraged and uplifted by the donation. This was UWA in action not just promoting prevention and early diagnosis but helping those who are fighting and surviving Breast Cancer.

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

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Prime Minister Andrew Holness has been fervent in his belief that corporal punishment should be banned and he is desirous of having the matter debated in the House of Parliament with a view to enacting legislation that would outlaw it from our way of life.

Over these many years, Jamaicans have agonized over the use of corporal punishment as a disciplinary measure in our homes and at school. Similarly, in the wake of the high number of murders in the country, many have argued that capital punishment should be re-introduced in the penal system.
Human rights activists and forward-thinking citizens have objected to these two proposals on the basis that they would prove to be ineffective for whatever the perceived or desired outcome. In the case of capital punishment which traditionally in Jamaica has been by hanging, the British Privy Council has put a spoke in the wheels of our justice system by way of the famous Pratt/Morgan decision.

Corporal punishment as practiced in Jamaica has been with us from time immemorial. Older folks in retrospect still believe in the biblical saying: “Spare the rod, and spoil the child.” They maintain that the decent, law-abiding citizens that they have become today was as a result of the spanking that they got in their early youth. Frankly, the jury is out on these two pressing matters in a society where violence has become the norm. A videotape which circulated recently on social media showing a half-naked mother slapping her teenage daughter repeatedly with a machete sent shock-waves throughout the nation and triggered much public discourse on the legitimacy of such an action.

In the meantime, there have been numerous cases of what has been described as child abuse meted out by parents, guardians, older siblings and teachers against children in a bid to discipline them. In this context, there have been several studies which indicate that children who have been subject to violence will exhibit that same behavioural pattern in later life. In other words, violence begets violence.
Rather than harsh legislative measures to deal with this issue, we suggest that a more intensive public education programme be pursued, seeking to use moral suasion rather than resorting to the whip. No pun intended. We believe that the stick and carrot approach should be employed and just penalizing well-intentioned parents. Of course, it must be understood that corporal punishment must not be equated with physical assault or abuse. There is, after all, what is known as tough love.

“Enough is enough” Mayor Davis tells criminals

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Chairman of the St. James Municipal Corporation and Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Homer Davis (right), share pleasantries with General Manager of Ashley Home Store, Pamille Shaw Blair and Unicomer’s Managing Director, Dennis Harris.

 

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Homer Davis, says the time has come for criminals who have been wreaking havoc in the city of Montego Bay and the parish of St. James to be sent a clear message that law-abiding citizens have had enough.

Addressing the official opening ceremony for Ashley HomeStore in the Fairview Shopping Complex in Montego Bay on Wednesday November 8, Mayor Davis said citizens have been living in fear of their lives, because of the deeds of a few misguided men.

Mayor Davis said despite their activities, which have resulted in well over 200 murders and several hundred shootings across the parish since the start of this year, these persons, mostly men, are not irredeemable.

“This is where I use this medium…to appeal to the young men who have embarked on a life of destructing other people’s lives… to say to them –enough is enough. I will say to them that they are not irredeemable but they need to take a stance now to say (they) have killed enough of (their) black brothers and sisters, so let us get a hold on ourselves and make Montego Bay and Jamaica the place that it ought to be”, Mayor Davis implored.

Meanwhile, Mayor Davis has welcomed the opening of the international furniture store in Montego Bay, stating that the Ashley HomeStore brand is expected to significantly impact the business sector as well as householders in the city.

He said: “I am sure that the citizens of this region are looking forward to great customer service, quality furniture and a lifelong partnership with Ashley Furniture HomeStore, firstly as a member of the business landscape as well as a good corporate citizen. With your wide range of furniture our bedrooms will become more comfortable, we will be spending more time utilizing our dining rooms and entertainment areas while for those of us who work from offices, our time spent there will be more enjoyable based on the quality of the furniture and accessories which we will purchase”.

Mayor Davis said the opening of the store sends a clear signal to the business world that despite a number of challenges, Montego Bay remains very attractive, not only as the leading tourism destination in the Caribbean, but as a business location which is now regarded as the hub for commerce in the region.

BUSINESS CONFIDENCE HIGH

“As Mayor of this city, I am pleased to state without any form of contradiction that business confidence is very high, not only in Montego Bay, but across this parish. Just last week, we opened a major health facility in this area which now put Jamaica and Western Jamaica up-front and centre in the world of health tourism. The opening of this store, will not only bring a new clientele to the city, but will bring wealth to our people through the very attractive jobs being provided”.

He added that Ashley HomeStore’s opening is part of the answer to a recent request from the Prime Minister for a new set of investments in order to add fuel to the economy, not only of Montego Bay, but Jamaica, adding that the St. James Municipal Corporation stands ready to play its part in encouraging investors to move into Montego Bay, adding that technology will be applied in that process.

Mayor Davis said “the Hon. Prime Minister Andrew Holness last week asked for a new set of investors in order that our economy can grow-this new store is one of those new investors that will help to drive that process. Let me advise other potential investors who may be sitting on the fence that the St. James Municipal Corporation stands ready to play a leading role in facilitating your investments. We recently had representatives of the Corporation and other state agencies successfully participated in a training programme for the new Application Management, Data Automation, (AMANDA) system which is aimed at ensuring greater participation from state agencies in regulating the construction sector. This new system will give more agencies direct on-line access to construction and other development plans with the aim of ensuring approval in the shortest possible time”.

Ashley Furniture HomeStore which was established in 1945 is regarded as one of the largest manufacturers of home furnishings in the world having more than 625 stores in 28 countries. The company which started operation in Kingston recently has a net worth of several billions United States dollars and well over 4, 000 employees has operations in over 500 locations worldwide.

 

Bullies wrecking schools

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Antonio McKoy
  • More crimes being committed than on the streets

 

Barrington Flemming
Staff Reporter

Antonio McKoy, Chairman and Founder of the Montego Bay-based Le Antonio Foundation, says bullying has reached epidemic proportionS in the country, and is fuelling many of the violent criminal activitIES sweeping across the nation.

Mr. McKoy, whose foundation has launched the End Bullying Globally Campaign, says the situation is rampant in Western Jamaica, with extortion very prevalent in a Hanover high school, and rape of school girls by their peers at school across the region and the island.

In a most recent case of bullying and assault, a seven-year-old boy was held down by a group of his peers at the Clark’s Town Primary School in Trelawny and a stick thrust into his rectum.

It has been condemned by Education Minister Ruel Reid, who said a probe was forthcoming into the incident and that action would be taken following the results of the investigation.

In the meantime, McCoy says extortion is rampant, “We have encountered many situations at a school in Hanover that would rival the extortion rings operating in Spanish Town. There was one boy who was stealing from other students to ensure that he would have money to pay another boy, who was extorting money from him daily. This little one was in fear,” McKoy explained.

He further explained that in many schools, girls are being forced to engage in myriad sexual activities by their male peers.

“It is very serious.  Some boys go around the school compounds saying they can have any girl they want, so they pull girls into bathrooms and other rooms and sexually assault or rape them, but the girls are not talking because of fear, as they have been threatened in most instances, by these boys and sometimes because of shame. So, they don’t tell their parents or other caregivers or any other adult.”

Mr. McKoy says some students are pretending to be sick and staying home because they do not want to go to school out of fear of being bullied.

LUNCH TIME IS FEAR TIME

“Some children fear what is going to happen to them at lunch times, they are beaten and their lunch taken away so lunch time which should be fun time, is now fear time,” McKoy explained. He says more crimes are seemingly being committed at school than on the streets.”

He says learning is seriously affected because children become withdrawn, depressed and fail to function at school.

Dr. Julian Walters, Child and Adult Psychiatrist at the Fairview Medical Centre, shared the sentiments expressed by McKoy, highlighting further that bullying stems from a power struggle, with these youngsters seeking to find their true identity.

“What we have is people trying to define who they are as they are going through a real struggle for their identity. How people are socialised, the culture, where people are categorised as victor or victim, in most instances, define people.”

She said according to a survey conducted by the Child Development Agency, 65 per cent of students are affected by bullying.

Part of the problem is that bullying is most times defined as the physical act, but the verbal expression can be just as damaging because, in many instances, young people, become depressed which leads to anxiety and panic attacks, and even suicidal thoughts.

Dr. Walters further confirmed that the cognitive process is compromised as children cannot focus, as they are anxious and fearful.

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