Social media platforms, especially Facebook, continue to ‘blow up’ as tributes pour in for popular dancer and female promoter, 37-year-old Judith Annabell Miller-Warren, who was brutally gunned down and her male companion shot and wounded by gunmen in Anchovy, St. James on Saturday.
The name of the wounded man has been withheld pending further investigations.
One Facebook post from one of Warren’s friends read: “She loved everybody, everybody loved her, why Jamaica?
Warren, who was called ‘C..ky Tractor’, was a colourful character who is remembered for her electrifying dance moves.
She was also known to wear multi-coloured wigs and sexy outfits, and formerly danced with Montego Bay-based dancer Marvin ‘The Beast’.
She had also entered the Dancehall Queen competition, while she was living in St. James and reportedly received rave reviews.
Miller-Warren was also popular for promoting dance hall shows in Jamaica and in Queens, New York, where she lived for years prior to her death.
A relative of Warren who spoke briefly on condition of anonymity said: “Judith was a lively a party girl. She did not get herself in trouble, so I don’t know where all of this is coming from,” she said.
Information gleaned by the Western Mirror indicates that Warren, who is a mother of two daughters, flew into the island from New York to retrieve documents relating to one of her daughters whom she recently took with her to reside in New York.
The police report that about 6 p.m. on Saturday, Miller-Warren attended an event in the parish and was in the process of going home in a Nissan motorcar with a male companion, who was driving the vehicle, when upon reaching the vicinity of Nigger Ground in Anchovy, it is alleged that the car was ambushed by gunmen who opened gunfire on the motorcar.
The driver along with Miller-Warren, who both received several gunshot wounds, were taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
The driver of the motor vehicle underwent emergency surgery and was admitted in stable but critical condition.
CLIPPING IT: Ward Sister at the Cornwall Regional Hospital, Noella Hutchinson Livingston, clips the documents together for this man who was processed by her for one of the many tests available at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre offered by the Jamaica Cancer Society. The tests include Prostate Cancer, Blood Pressure and Blood sugar tests, as well as HIV tests. In the back-ground a snapshot of the hundreds of men waiting to be screened. - Barrington Flemming Photo
Barrington Flemming – Staff Reporter
Hundreds get screened for Prostate Cancer
With prostate cancer being the number one killer among men in Jamaica, with an incidence rate of 72 percent per 100 thousand and the highest mortality rate in the world, hundreds of men from all walks of life, flocked to the Montego Bay Cultural Centre last Friday for free prostate cancer screening offered by the Jamaica Cancer Society, shrugging off the traditional fear of the Digital Rectal Examination.
The free screening (Digital Rectal Exam, DRE, and the Prostate Specific Antigen, PSA – blood test) form part of the activities by the Jamaica Cancer Society to observe September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and were offered in conjunction with the National Health Fund, Cornwall Regional Hospital Cancer Support Group and sponsors.
Shullian Brown, Fundraising and Public Relations Officer for the Jamaica Cancer Society said with estimates that 1 in every 10 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, it was heartening to see approximately 500 men being screened, but insisted she would love to see many more men coming forward.
“Men start screening at a very late stage, despite it being the most prevalent cancer in Jamaica and with such a high mortality rate, not until they start having problems urinating; they go to the doctor and start having themselves examined. Prior to that, Prostate cancer – present with no symptoms, is the leading form of cancer in Jamaica; if men do not practice a regular screening regimen, they will miss being diagnosed with this disease,” Brown explained.
She further explained that only 1500 men were screened for prostate cancer last year, despite the high incidence rate (the incidence rate is a measure of the frequency with which a disease occurs in a population over a specified time period), as opposed to more than 20,000 women being screened for cervical and breast cancer.
Miss Brown said part of the JCS’ responsibility is to encourage the men to ensure that they have themselves tested continuously as a means of preventing and or treating the disease.
COUNSELING
Dr. Juanette Mason Jordan, retired consultant anaesthetist, who heads the Cancer Support Group at the Cornwall Regional Hospital, indicated that when the DRE and the PSA are complete, the men with abnormal results would be called to the chapel at the hospital for counseling and be recommended for treatment if required.
“It is vital for men to have the test done to save their lives. We cannot stress this enough. Men have really come out and we are glad but more need to come to safeguard themselves, she implored.
Odell Lewis, who is a prostate cancer survivor and who, along with Dr. Tasha Cooke, were instrumental in having the prostate cancer screening started in Montego Bay since 2012, says it is vital for men to have the test done to save their lives as it did his in 2006.
“I had just returned home to Chicago from vacation in Jamaica in 2006 when during a routine test, I was diagnosed and the surgery was done in 2007 at the George Washington Hospital in Washington DC, USA. It was successful and here I am alive today, 11 years cancer free. My grandfather also died from prostate cancer. If I did not do the test I would have been dead by now. I volunteered with the American Cancer Society and then took my retirement and came here because this is ground zero for prostate cancer. Jamaica has the highest mortality rate in the world,” Lewis explained.
Lewis said he is now living a healthier life eating natural foods and enjoying travelling between Jamaica and the United States.
GOT IT COVERED: Irwin’s Brian Hemmings has the beating of Collins Hughton from St. James High (partially hidden) all day on Wednesday in second half action of their Zone ‘A’ ISSA/WATA da’Costa Cup match at Jarrett Park. St. James High halted a two game skid to win 2-1 in the rain hit match. - Noelita Lawrence photo
Noelita Lawrence
ISSA/WATA da’Costa Cup Preview
The usual intense race for Inter Zone spots to the ISSA/WATA da’Costa Cup Football Competition heats up this weekend (Saturday, September, 29) with at least five western teams, including the defending champions Rusea’s and two former winners well-positioned.
Twelve-times winners Cornwall College, along with STETHS, who have lifted the trophy five times, Cedric Titus and Petersfield, are among the western battlers all seated at the top of their zones.
CC and Rusea’s will also be defending a winning stretch of six games.
The Dr. Dean Weatherly-coached CC, pace-setters of Zone ‘A’ where they have not lost a game in more than five years, will be on the road for only the third time this season and should collect another three points when they line up against last-placed Irwin.
A winner with the team back in 2016, the speedy Aiden Jokomba, who leads the team’s attacking frontline, will be aiming to add to his five goals tallied already, as will captain Shavon McDonald, who has struck four times.
Also, St. James High, who snapped a two-game losing skid, will look for a second straight in their clash away to Anchovy. Green Pond, blowing hot and cold, play at home to Maldon.
In-form Rusea’s also have a winning streak to protect when they challenge second-from-bottom Cambridge, and Green Island hope to return to winning ways when they challenge Merlene Ottey.
The Rusea’s team has 15 points going into the match, six clear of joint second place Frome and Green Island (9) each.
STELLAR CLASH
A gigantic match-up is set up for Zone ‘C’, where the top two, Cedric Titus and ‘Compre’, come face-to-face with each other at Bogue in what promises to be a titanic affair.
When the two met in the first round, ‘Compre’ carved out the chances but in the end slipped to a 1-0 defeat and will be looking to avenge that result. The team is also on a high having marked off four straight wins.
‘Compre’ have rushed to the top and with confidence oozing, the in-form side, who last lifted the crown back in 1986, will be taking dead aim at a fifth straight win and sole leadership of the zone.
Petersfield is down to entertain Belmont and Manning’s meet Little London, both in Zone ‘D’, while STETHS take a charge at another victoiry in a battle with Maggotty and Munro College, fresh off their first win, hunt back-to-back three points in their game against Sydeny Pagon.
Newell and Lacovia challenge each other all in Zone ‘E’.
29 other matches will also be played including Garvey Maceo against Glenmuir in Zone ‘M’ after a seventh straight win.
Several months after the death of Ryan ‘Ratty’ Peterkin, notorious leader of the Cambridge-based Ratty Gang, Delano ‘Preckeh’ Wilmot, one of Peterkin’s top henchmen, has taken the reins of the once dying gang, and yesterday, brazenly challenged members of the Jamaica Defense Force, injuring two in an intense gun battle.
Details reaching this newsroom are that about 10:15 a.m., members of a joint police/military team, acting on information, made their way into the Richmond Hill community in Cambridge, St. James, in search of the dangerously ambitious Wilmot.
On reaching a section of the community, in what is being reported as an ambush, the lawmen came under heavy gunfire from a group of men, led by Wilmot, and were forced to take evasive action. Reports further indicated that during the extended gunfight, the high-powered weapons being used by Wilmot’s men briefly overpowered the ambushed lawmen, resulting in two members of the Jamaica Defense Force being shot.
The men subsequently had to be whisked off to the hospital, where they were treated and placed under observation. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening.
CONTINUING TERROR
Our newsroom understands that this latest brazen attack by Wilmot and his henchmen is but an extension of the Ratty Gang’s reign of terror, as over the past couple of weeks, a series of murders, shootings, armed robberies, and other violent criminal acts in the Retrieve, Cambridge and Catadupa areas, can all be traced back to the now revitalized gang.
As a result, residents in the affected communities are reportedly on edge, despite the increased military presence in the area following the brazen attack.
ACTIVE STATE OF EMERGENCY
This latest instance of criminality across St. James, particularly in the South St. James division, continues despite the ongoing State of Public Emergency, which is now enjoying its third extension. Despite the increased military/police presence in some areas, residents continue to cower in fear, as several gangs seem to be regaining life.
The military is determined, however, and will continue to maintain a presence in the area.
An eager student, Khalial Simpson, strikes a pose on the first day of the 2018/2019 school year right before heading off to his new school, Irwin High.
Contributed photo
Sashane Shakes
Son desperately in need of hearing aid
The mother of a hearing-impaired son is urgently seeking public assistance to purchase a $135,000 hearing aid for her child.
Kerry-Ann Sanderson, 39, is seeking public assistance which may be the only financial recourse to fund the purchasing of a new hearing aid for her son, Khalial Simpson, after the one he currently owns got damaged recently.
Some years ago, due to an unfortunate accident while playing, a stone was accidentally lodged in Khalial’s ear which damaged the drum, impeding his ability to hear clearly thereon after.
Now, newly inducted seventh grader at the Irwin High School, Simpson is facing quite the dilemma as his mother is fearful that his schooling will deteriorate due to his limited hearing abilities. She says that when addressing Khalial, one has to repeat several times and project their voice, which has caused his teacher to move him to the front of the class. “It gets frustrating for the speaker and for him,” said Kerry-Ann.
She is also concerned that he might fall behind in his schooling, something she is more than determined to prevent.
The mother, who only wants the best for her son, said she is not in a financially stable position due to being diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia, which makes it challenging to find and keep work. “I’m not working right now because I have Sickle Cell. My mother has to be helping me out with him and his sister.”
NOT THE RIGHT SIZE
But it’s a bittersweet situation as Kerry-Ann revealed that a good citizen donated a hearing aid not long ago. Grateful for the generosity extended to her son, she was disappointed when a Kingston-based doctor, who commutes to Montego Bay, Dr. Thwin, revealed that the medical device “will not work” as it is “not the right size and match,” she said.
Kerry-Ann added that the doctor wrote an invoice to the Mayor of Montego Bay, Homer Davis, who assisted in providing $25,000. But now she needs a little over $100,000 to make her son hear again.
“If there is any kind person out there that can assist my son, that would be appreciated because I don’t want him to drop back on his grades,” she pleaded.
Anyone wishing to assist in making donations to Khalial Simpson so that he can get a new hearing aid may do so by calling his mother Kerry-Ann at (876) 396-4980 or (876) 845-9551. Contributions can also be made by transferring funds to Khalial’s Victoria Mutual Building Society account. The account is in his name, Khalial Simpson and the account number is 400953451
Dangling electrical and cable wires in the town of Lucea
I am disgusted. I have reached my wits end with the current administration of the Hanover MunicipalCorporation.
I watched the heads of this municipality change three times. However, the physical condition of Lucea continues to worsen.
The roads remain treacherous to pedestrians and motorists. The huge drain that facilitates the flow of rain water as it makes its way to the sea, also in full view of the Municipal building, is not cleaned on any regular consistent basis. It begs the question as to how property tax revenue is being disseminated and to whom. Property owners receive little benefit from their tax payment dollars.
Goats and mange-covered dogs continue to run free. Too often, unleashed animals scamper across the road in the direct path of moving automobiles. This causes motorists to quickly implement evasive maneuvers to avoid possible critical accidents.
Within the town, small potholes in the roadways are allowed to grow into craters. Motorists complain, but our cries for a better Lucea fall on the deaf ears of the administration of the Hanover Municipal Corporation.
The Corporation allows the physical welfare of pedestrians and motorists to be at risk daily.
Case in point, the photograph accompanying this letter. On the main thoroughfare within the town, directly across the street from the credit union, broken electrical and cable wires dangle in the path of the pedestrian walkway. A spaghetti bundle of potentially dangerous live wires looms ready to snuff out the life of unsuspecting passersby.
Trash collection is too often ignored. Huge apparently well-fed rodents continue to run rampant in the twilight and evening hours. The rodent population is alarmingly large. Marketers are allowed to sell their produce outside the confines of the market, causing further pedestrian obstructions.
Taxi and private bus operators unnecessarily clog the free movement of traffic, as they illegally jockey for position on the main thoroughfare. The bus park, allocated for the orderly loading of passengers, is too often not utilized. Daily, children face the daunting task of negotiating moving automobiles to and from school, due to the absence of proper sidewalks.
ERODING SEAWALL
Another obscure, but nonetheless a major threat to life and property, is the eroding sea-wall. The ocean retaining wall is being undercut by the natural movement of the ocean water. Further erosion would cause the main roadway to collapse and cause devastation to our town. This was brought to light during the tenure of previous administrations. The notice fell on the deaf ears and blind eyes of the Hanover Municipal Corporation.
After brief rainfall, the entry point into the town known as “Keep Left”, becomes impassable to foot and automobile traffic. The torrent of rain water runoff, which crosses the path of the roadway, is great. Access in and out of Lucea becomes impassible until the water flow subsides.
The historic clock along with the roof in which the Hanover Municipal Corporation is housed, are in dire need of repair. Yet its fixup has been ignored over the tenure of three administrations.
I wish to point out also that Lucea is the doorway to many Negril Resort locations. Tourists daily are driven through Lucea to get to their resort points. Lengthy traffic snarls in Lucea hamper them from promptly reaching their vacation destinations. The physical condition of Lucea presents a dilapidated representation of what Jamaica truly is. It is an embarrassment to every Jamaican as the tourists take away inaccurate accounts of what we as a people truly are.
NO CONFIDENCE
I declare a no confidence vote on the current administration of the Hanover Municipal Corporation. I cry out to the National Government to make a meaningful contribution to help Lucea achieve acceptable levels of cleanliness and public order. Lucea is in a state of flux, with under-management and disorder being the order of the day. In other words, TOTAL chaos.
On behalf of all Jamaicans who live, visit or drive through Lucea, I cry out for assistance from Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of our country. No one else in lower levels of government management, have been able to or have cared to stem the tide of the further ruin of our historic town.
Mr. Holness, should you too ignore our requests for help, it would indicate that no one cares enough to save Lucea from the destructive path that it is currently on.
The tally continues to climb with the continuous cases of young girls that are misused and abused; and Tameka Jones is one that has not been spared of the scourge. Jones, who has been missing since May this year, was last seen at the Granville Place of Safety in Trelawny.
A student of the St. James High School, Tameka, 15, was placed in the home because of her behaviour which was spiraling out of control in the previous months leading up to her placement and her subsequent disappearance.
For a few years prior, her father, Fabian Jones, had allowed Tameka to live with his sister-in-law, Rose, who resides in Hendon, Norwood. He named Tameka’s mother as an absentee parent and the reason he could not keep his daughter as he is unable to care for her as a single parent, coupled with his place of residence which he describes as an unfavourable environment to raise her.
BAD BEHAVIOUR
Tameka had another temporary guardian known only as Wong, who grew frustrated with her ill-mannered ways. Turning to the state for assistance, she was placed in the girls’ home.
Fabian describes some of her bad behaviours as wanting to go out whenever she pleased, which included odd hours of the night, having a lot of friends – some of whom were less than ideal, talking back, and having a brazen demeanour.
The elder Jones from a Fustic Road address says Tameka started behaving wildly ever since she was raped. The rapist has since been dealt with by the law, but Tameka was left with psychological scars which he believes can be linked to her out-of-control behaviour.
“She never used to stay so. Is since that happen to her me think it affect her,” said Fabian. He admitted that this isn’t the first time Tameka has gone missing. He revealed that without saying where, she left for a friend’s home for a few days but had returned.
Like any well-meaning parent, Fabian said he was willing to work with Tameka to get better and had only agreed to send her to the Granville Place of Safety because he believed it would be good for her. Whilst at the Granville Place of Safety, he visited Tameka once every week for the four weeks that she was there because he was rooting for her to be released fully rehabilitated. “Me used to tell her say ‘This a nuh what me want fi you. You must leave company cause me have it hard,’” lamented Jones.
NO REMORSE
But Tameka, he believes, felt no remorse and was eager to be rid of him. Fabian recalled that in some of their conversations, she would explain that, “Me well waan get away because you too strict,” adding that she didn’t want to live with her aunts because they are also disciplinarians.
Despite being a troublesome teen, Fabian, who wants the best for his daughter, is still searching for her. He is particularly saddened because September 13 would have been her 15th birthday.
If anyone has seen, heard from or know the whereabouts of Tameka Jones, please call 119 or your nearest police station. Her father Fabian Jones may be reached at (876) 799-7163.
Even though the guns have somewhat been silenced by the imposing State of Emergency, the sharp edges of the knives and machetes have seen a surge in popularity, becoming the weapons of unquestionable mayhem in St. James.
Though new information continues to be uncovered in the wake of the tragic double-murder-suicide that has been on the lips of many, residents in the community of Paradise, Norwood, have seen their anxieties heightened, as last Friday morning, 21-year-old Okema ‘Cindy’ James, was found dead inside her apartment.
Just hours later, the body of Okema’s longtime neighbour, 19-year-old Akeem Watson, was found along the Home Hill main road leading to Ironshore, chopped beyond recognition. It is believed the deceased man was involved in the death of the 21-year-old, and allegedly met his demise at the hands of angry residents who had no qualms about unleashing their own brand of jungle justice.
In an exclusive interview with Okema’smother – Marcia Cobron, it was revealed that the youngster had left their home at King Street for her grandfather’s place in Paradise, Norwood, for the sole purpose of studying.
LEFT HOME TO STUDY
“My house is too noisy, so she told me she needed to study and that she was going by her grandfather’s place, so I said OK,” Cobron revealed to the Western Mirror. Cobron further added that it was not uncommon for the former Irwin High School and HEART student to do that, so there was no reason to be suspicious when she mentioned that she would have. “Yes, she would go there on the weekends, and would come back home afterwards on Sundays or so. She was preparing for her exams, as she would have graduated from her waitress training course at HEART in November, so I understood why she needed to go study in silence,” the grieving mother relayed.
On Friday, September 21, 2018, James was reported to have arrived safely at her grandfather’s house, which was empty, as her grandfather had been out. James Dennis, otherwise called ‘James Bond’ or ‘Movie Star’ – grandfather of the deceased, further corroborated that account when he spoke to the Western Mirror.
“Yes sah, I was out. Cindy bredda did go check pon her early on in the day, and him seh she did alright, so by the time mi reach back home, mi did just go straight to mi room. Mi not even did think fi go check if Cindy alright ‘cause dem seh she did alright,” Dennis explained. He continued: “When mi go in, mi realize seh mi fan did missing from mi room, and mi did just a think seh well, you know young people, dem need comfort, especially when dem a study, so mi neva seh nutn. A neva till mi son go round dere dat mi realize she something did wrong.” Dennis revealed that after his son went to check on Okema, an alarm was raised: “Daddy, Cindy dead.”
GRUESOME DISCOVERY
“When him seh dat, mi seh ‘Wa you seh? Wa you mean Cindy dead?’ When mi go round deh go look, a dat deh time deh mi see it. Dem deal wid Cindy wicked man, wicked I tell you! A just blood mi see, all bout di place and pon di floor. Mi couldn’t believe seh dem kill Cindy, couldn’t believe,” Dennis lamented. He further revealed that he is yet to fully clean sections of the room, because he was still shaken, and still needed time to process what had happened. As a result, “All now blood still in deh pon di floor,” Dennis explained.
The 21-year-old Okema Cindy James’ body was found with multiple stab wounds. It is unclear what events led to her demise.
‘BULBY’ SUSPECTED, KILLED
Though unconfirmed, Dennis revealed that he was told by a neighbour that a young man, who lived across the street from him, was seen running from the house in his underpants, moments before he got home.
“Somebody, and a nuh just one person, tell mi seh dem see him, dem see di bwoy ‘Bulby’ (alias of the accused) a run from outa mi house inna him underpants,” Dennis said. “You know di worst ting? ‘Bulby’ is a bwoy weh mi grow innuh, mi know him from him a likkle bwoy. Him all come inna mi yaad come ketch waata sometimes, and den fi know seh a him do dis to mi granddaughter, mi really can’t believe it.”
The allegations against Watson (‘Bulby’), have not been confirmed. His body was found hours later alongside the Home Hill main road, visibly disfigured from multiple chop wounds it sustained. No suspect has been arrested in connection with that gruesome find, despite several reports that he was chopped to death by residents who suspected his involvement in Okema James’ death.
‘SHE WAS A NICE, QUIET GIRL’
Marcia Cobron, still grieving from what happened to her daughter, revealed to the Western Mirror that her daughter was a nice girl who didn’t talk much, and was focused on her studies. This is a statement supported by her grandfather, Dennis, who added that she (James) was not about anything that didn’t contribute to her studies, men included.
“Now, everybody is just shocked. You know, she was to go to Type 5 that morning because she had an appointment, and it looked like the guy went in on her then. Everybody is just sad and shocked,” Cobron said.
MORE ON THE DOUBLE-MURDER-SUICIDE
Meanwhile, as residents from Poinciana Close, Rosemount, mere minutes away from Paradise, Norwood, continue to struggle with accepting the circumstances surrounding the murder of Gas Station Supervisor Dionne Smith, 45, and her daughter, 16-year-old Jayshenel Gordon – a Herbert Morrison Technical High School student, reports are that the deceased were well-loved by members of the community.
Dionne Smith and daughter, Jayshenel Gordon
“She was a loving girl,” one resident said of Smith, “she always checked for everybody. She was good to all of us and we feel bad about what happened.”
Another resident disclosed to the Western Mirror that at points, she would hear Smith and her common-law husband, Fabian Lyewsang – the suspect whose body was later found in his Nissan Tiida motorcar in the Rio Cobre in a suspected case of suicide – arguing, and that they would sometimes intervene. “I never thought anything of it that time and was in my bed. I didn’t hear a sound, so I didn’t know anything was going on around there. It’s such a sad situation really,” the grief-stricken resident added.
“A 51 years mi live ya so, so mi know her [Dionne] from she a likkle girl and fi di bwoy go cut di gyal throat and kill di pickney so? Mi sorry seh we neva get to him before him kill himself. Dionne was well-loved and well-mannered. She came from nothing to something and for her to just go out like this, it really, really bad,” a concerned senior shared with our newsroom.
Fabian Lyewsang
According the CCU, about 2:30 a.m., Smith and her spouse, who was reportedly unemployed at the time, were allegedly embroiled in an argument, during which he used a knife to slash the throats of Smith and Gordon.
Despite several reports swirling that the gruesome scene was as a result of jealousy and infidelity, several creditable sources have rubbished those claims, citing that Lyewsang had no reason to question Smith’s loyalty to him, and instead seemed to have snapped for undisclosed reasons.
THE COORDINATOR SPEAKS: Emil Holgate, Coordinator of Jamaica Eye in the Ministry of National Security, shares the objectives of the security initiative with members of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry at their regular monthly meeting. He announced that an additional 300 CCTV cameras would be installed in the western city to boost the security forces’ crime-fighting efforts.
By Barrington Flemming – Staff Reporter
An additional three hundred CCTV cameras will be installed in public spaces in Montego Bay, St. James, by year end under the Jamaica Eye project, as the Ministry of National Security seeks to strengthen the crime fighting efforts of the security forces in the Western City.
Emil Holgate, Project coordinator of Jamaica Eye, made the announcement as he made a presentation on the project at the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s meeting on Wednesday.
Mr. Holgate, in making the announcement, indicated that the number of cameras installed could be increased based on demand for the expansion of the project.
“The main objective of Jamaica Eye is to improve public safety, enhance situational awareness, support emergency disaster response, to assist the authorities to respond to incidents and to assist in the process of maintaining law and order. So, it is effectively nurturing and utilizing technology to achieve the objectives as outlined,” Mr. Holgate explained.
He said one-hundred-and-six cameras were previously installed in the city with 66 percent or 70 of them operational at this time, with a monitoring centre already established in the city.
Mr. Holgate explained that crime mapping (system used by crime analysts to visualize, and analyze crime incident patterns) and data would be employed to determine where the additional cameras would be strategically located.
He further explained that the project would be implemented in three phases, citing that it was now in the second phase which includes the installation of cameras as well as monitoring centres.
Responding to queries about possible breaches of the system based on the inclusion of private cameras, Mr. Holgate indicated that the system was under constant review and monitoring to stave off efforts at hacking into the system.
Jamaica Eye, which was launched on March 14 this year, is aimed at networking CCTV cameras with the National Security Ministry as well as to accommodate feeds from privately owned cameras which will provide data on criminal activities as well as other emergencies.
Under the Jamaica Eye project, cameras have already been installed in St. James, Westmoreland, St. Ann, Manchester and Clarendon.
It’s one thing to be stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic in the busy resort city of Montego Bay but it’s definitely another when you’re stuck in a manhole!
Over the years, many have fallen victim to manholes in the city but the popular hotspot these days is located at the back gate of the Bay City Supermarket adjoining Hart Street.
Beverley Thompson can confirm this as on Wednesday afternoon last week, she had the unfortunate experience of falling into the manhole.
The 58-year-old Jamaica Tours employee had just departed a bus en route to work when she decided to cut through the back of the former Super Plus Supermarket parking lot at Hart Street which leads to Barnett Street.
The moment she reached the gate, she fell into the manhole with no time to scream or shout for help. Instead, the fall, which happened in a mere matter of seconds, saw Thompson shifting most of her weight to her left side while going down in order to prevent serious injuries. But she couldn’t avoid getting hurt all together, hurting her back and left knee with a few minor bruises.
Upon seeing her predicament, other pedestrians were quick to remove her from the manhole and accompany her to Type 5, which is down the road from where the incident occurred. The men on the scene also botched the covering in hopes that no one else will fall in.
“I’m not the first to fall into that specific manhole,” lamented Beverley. She says that a few of the men on the scene told her that persons have fallen into that manhole more than a few times since recently, adding that, “They keep patching it up but it loosens easily and people keep falling in.”
While there haven’t been any more reports, this manhole and many others like it are a menace and can be found throughout the city.
But Beverley wants more to be done.
“What if it was someone else with a baby? The baby would be seriously hurt or die! Suppose it was a school student walking alone?” she questioned.
A public plea is being issued to the relevant authorities to fix the manhole before more persons are injured or worse. “I don’t want anything, I just want them to fix it,” she said.
