Up to press time, a team from the National Works Agency (NWA) was feverishly working on a temporary fix for the collapsed section of the North Coast Highway at Hague in Trelawny, which has caused a chaotic traffic situation in the town, never before seen in the parish.
The Works Agency attributes the collapse to heavy rains in the parish in recent days which caused debris to clog a major drain in area, resulting in the partial collapse of the road in the vicinity of the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium.
A technical team carried out an inspection on Wednesday and found that the entire width of the road was undermined and likely to cave in under the weight of a passing vehicle.
The road was then blocked off and traffic diverted through the town of Falmouth. That’s when the chaos set in as even with the efforts of the police to direct a smooth flow, the unruly behaviour of some motorists further exacerbated the situation with persons being stuck in traffic for hours.
At one point, motorists were granted access to traverse through a nearby housing scheme in a bid to ease the situation somewhat.
The incident happened on a Wednesday, the busiest day of the week in Falmouth, with the popular Bend Dung Market in full swing and two cruise ships in harbour at the world-famous Falmouth Pier. Reports are that the ships had to delay their departure as some passengers returning from their excursions were caught up in the traffic.
In the meantime, the NWA is advising persons in Trelawny to exercise caution while travelling through sections of the parish, which have been impacted by significant flooding. The areas include Clarkes Town, Long Pond, Jackson Town and Level Bottom.
Christina Samuels, popularly known across Social Media as ‘Trudy First Lady Malcolm’, always had a flare for the dramatic. The 27-year-old soared to social media stardom when a series of videos – in which she cursed a number of people – went viral, much to the delight of thousands of Facebook users.
In one of her usual video rants, however, Samuels made an open invitation, in her usual flamboyant manner, for someone to “come shoot me inna mi head”.
It would appear someone took up the invitation, as in the same day the video was posted, on Wednesday of this week, Samuels’ body was recovered on a back road in the upscale community of Mango Walk, with four shots to the head.
According to information gleaned from the Police, about 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday night, residents of the usually crime-free neighbourhood, heard gunshots in the area, sounds they were unaccustomed to. On Wednesday morning, however, as residents busied themselves going about their daily routines, a most gruesome discovery revealed the end of the crime-free drought the community has been fortunate enough to enjoy in the bloodstained parish of St. James.
The body of Christina Samuels laid along the popular Morrison Crescent back road, with four gunshot wounds to the head.
It is unclear if the now viral video of Samuels’ rant was filmed from the event she had attended, however, the information surfacing from it seems disturbingly telling.
FACEBOOK RANT
In the video, Samuels began: “Right now mi hear some people a call up mi name and mi tired a it.” After a string of expletives, Samuels went on to talk about a sexual relationship she maintains with a high-ranking Jamaica Constabulary Force officer, whom she believes would protect her in any life-threatening situation. “Mi wii call di police and run you dung and beat you in front a dem,” Samuels continued, going into details about the safety she believes she would get from the police. As the video progressed, however, Samuels’ rants ventured into dangerous territories, when she made what many considered a death wish. “You affi shot mi inna [expletive] %$#@ head and kill mi!” Sadly, it ended that way, with no clear motives established by detectives as to what specifically led to her demise.
CHAMPIONS: Pavel Smith (1st R), Brand Manager of sponsors Charley’s JB Rum, shares in the celebrations with winners Wadadah, as does Chairman of the CONFED, Linnel McLean, following the MoBay team’s success in the one-day Five-A-Side Football extravaganza and launch of this season’s CONFED. The day’s event took place at Jarrett Park on Saturday. – Noelita Lawrence photo
Noelita Lawrence
Wadadah hoisted the first trophy on offer in the 2017/2018 Charley’s JB Rum CONFED Super Football League, winning the one-day Five-A-Side extravaganza on Saturday at Jarrett.
A focused-looking Wadadah, who sailed through the competitive 12-team competition undefeated, outwitted Clarks Town, 2-1, in the championship game to pocket the $50,000 first place cash prize on offer, plus the Charley’s JB Rum trophy.
National youth representative, Calwayne Allen, outstanding throughout and who played in every game for his team, was the standout player of the final, slamming in both goals for the winners, including a scorcher.
Wadadah, showing off a few of their new acquisitions and with coach Daniel Ricketts in goal, looked an efficient bunch as they strolled to wins over Roaring River, and the St. James duo of Catherine Hall and Reggae Youths, on their way to lifting the trophy.
Reggae Youths finished third and pocketed $15,000, while Faulkland walked away with $10,000 for their fourth place finish.
National striker Allan Ottey, now plying his skills for Faukland, won the Golden Boot award.
DEC. 16 START
The League proper, which sees the 12 teams, including last season’s beaten finalists Montego Bay Boys’ and Girls’ Club, split into two groups of six, kicks off on Saturday with four games.
Montego Bay Boys’ and Girls’ Club, Reggae Youths, Beaches Negril, Hopewell, Catherine Hall and Harmony are the teams listed in Zone One, while Wadadah, Faulkland, Granville, Clarks Town, Roaring River and Grand Palladium are the teams listed to contest Zone Two.
McLEAN URGES PLAYERS
In the meantime, speaking at the launch, Chairman of the Western CONFED, Linnel McLean, urged the players to put on a good show for their teams and the sponsors.
“Over the last couple of years, Charley’s JB Rum has been with us as our main sponsor. Their sponsorship of the League has given us the opportunity to operate on a more free and professional level, so I charge all of you players to give your best at all times and show gratitude to the sponsors (Charley JB Rum).”
In wooing the sponsors, McLean noted that, “They (Charley’s JB Rum) are in the final year of their three-year deal with us and I’m hoping that at end of this season, we will be back together doing it (sponsorship) in a bigger and better way”.
People gathered at one of the stores recently affected by the floods, collecting foodstuff
Barrington Flemming Staff Reporter
Four businesses have been ordered closed until further notice by the St. James Health Department for breaches of public health standards.
The four were among 26 business places which were given the green light last week by the department to resume operations, after they were forced to curtail business activities due to the impact of floodwaters on the premises and products since November 29.
Lennox Wallace, Chief Public Health Inspector for the parish of St. James, told the Western Mirror that some business operators were seeking to try and beat the system through devious means.
“We found that some of the operators of businesses establishments were hiding foods in their attics or on the tops of the buildings. So they put out some goods to be dried by the sun, including flour, rice, sugar, so we went back to those properties and seized those foods and closed those properties.”
Mr. Wallace said operators of wholesale businesses affected by the floodwaters had put out food on the street and these were being picked up by people.
“We called in the Solid Waste Management team and the police to assist us, so we seized and condemned foods that we believed were contaminated. The foods that were seized were immediately denatured (rendered unfit for human consumption) and transported to the Retirement Dump under police cover. This was to ensure that persons living in and around neither ate, nor offered it for sale,” Wallace explained.
He said a team of 35 persons from the health department is now out in the field constantly monitoring food establishments to ensure that they are maintaining public health standards.
Lady Luck ran out on a man in Montego Bay on Tuesday afternoon when, after successfully evading several attempts on his life, he was gunned down by unknown assailants along Hart Street in the city.
The dead man has been identified as Davian Watson, otherwise called ‘Lego’ and ‘Sup’m’, unemployed of Railway Lane in the city.
His death comes even as there is a brief lull, with the police hierarchy again strategizing another ‘master’ crime plan to tame the runaway murder rate in the parish of St. James.
Unconfirmed reports to the Western Mirror are that sometime after 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Watson, who had spent some time in prison, was standing along the roadway when he was pounced upon and shot.
He received wounds to the upper body. Reports also indicate that in a recent shooting at Railway Lane, in which five persons were shot and wounded, Watson was purportedly the target.
It is understood that a festering turf feud between Gravel Lane and Dean’s Lane could be at the heart of the killing.
Police statistics revealed that 313 persons have been killed in St. James since the start of the year, 49 more than last year with 19 days remaining in the calendar year.
St. James, described as the most murderous parish in the country, has the highest of killings in the 19 police divisions across the country.
ANOTHER ‘MASTER CRIME’ PLAN
In the meantime, the crime plan crafted by the police has highlighted nine specific measures which are expected to rein in the crime ‘monster’. Among the measures are: improving intelligence capacity, enhancing investigative capabilities, greater use of technology to assist with investigations, reviewing and redefining the divisional command and staff structure, increasing collaboration with local, regional and international law enforcement agencies, especially on transnational and financial crimes, strengthening partnerships with various public and private sector stakeholders, enhancing community collaboration with community stakeholders and groups, and boosting the morale of staff through increased training and development for persons within the Division.
The Counter Terrorism and Organized Crime Branch (C-TOC) and the Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) have also been jointly tasked to aggressively tackle organized and financial crime. MOCA will be refocusing their efforts on issues of Police corruption.
The police have also resolved to have greater presence in public spaces and to increase public order activities, especially around illegal vending and traffic congestion in Montego Bay.
TOP PERFORMER: Herbert Morrison Technical High’s silent star performer, Alek Gilchrist, takes charge of the ball as he prepares for a move upcourt during the teams ISSA Western Conference Under-19 Basketball match at Bogue on Wednesday.
Noelita Lawrence
Title holders Herbert Morrison Technical High and former champions Muschett were in trampling form as they both scored convincing wins over William Knibb and Green Pond as preliminary round action in the ISSA Western Conference Basketball competition draws to a close. Herbert, already through to the semi-finals, brushed aside Knibb 103-43 in their Under-19 match, with four players getting into double figures, three with double-doubles.
With another electrifying performance, the dazzling Brendon Dawkins led the way for the Dave Black-coached team with a double-double, 25 points and 10 rebounds, while David Gordon added 20 and also grabbed 18 rebounds along with four blocks.
Akello Tracey, 20 points and seven rebounds, and the silent, but dangerous Alek Gilchrist, 14 points, 18 rebounds and six blocks, as well as six steals, gave support.Kimani Rose with a solid game-high 31 points, 10 rebounds and 8 steals led the way for Knibb who trailed from start to finish.
The Bogue school also won the Under-16 match-up to complete the double, surviving a last possession scare to record a thrilling 51-49 triumph over Knibb.
Trelawny-based Knibb had the last look at the basket as time expired but failed to convert.
Anthony Thorpe, 20 points and 16 rebounds, and Taj Hewitt 11 points and 10 boards, steered Herbert to the win while Cliffoy Samuels, with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Kevaughn Hill, 11 and 7 rebounds, kept Knibb in the match.
At the Montego Bay Cricket Club, Muschett, who last lifted the title some four years ago, dismissed a still learning Green Pond High 67-20 in a late-starting lopsided encounter.
Green Pond struggled at the rim despite getting good looks at the basket and remained winless from their matches played in this their first season.
Muschett, without being at their usual flamboyant best, did enough to see off their opponents with Akile Guthrie getting 15 points and Deandre Stewart, 14 and six steals.
Daurrion Downer who by his standards fell short on the boards, ended with 19 rebounds, five blocks and just six points.
This column, along with others, has been an unrelenting advocate for a national database to identify perpetrators and purveyors of violence. That database, ostensibly, would aid in the fight against criminality and the wanton murders assailing Jamaica. That proposed database would include fingerprints and DNA of known and convicted felons, along with unknown DNA on spent shells and war heads recovered at crime scenes.
With amendments to the Voting Rights Act, the security forces would have been able to match fingerprints recovered at crime scenes by accessing fingerprint information from the Electoral Office of Jamaica. That biometric data would remain centrally stored at the EOJ. Accessible only when they are to be electronically matched against those arrested for criminal offences including murders and shootings.
That methodology would be our own limited version of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), a national criminal database similar to those used in all developed countries. The ultimate goal would be the creation, over time, with on file data, a fully-fledged AFIS template.
Incidentally, the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) is a biometric identification (ID) methodology that uses digital imaging technology to obtain, store, and analyse fingerprint data. The AFIS was originally used by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in criminal cases.
At no time was there any suggestion that, the nation as a whole, including those in the Diaspora, should be forced to supply the government with their genomic data. To have suggested that, would be like giving the government a subtle nod to infringe on the rights of law-abiding Jamaicans.
As it stands, NIDS, as envisaged by the government, is now the law of the land no matter how temporary that might be. The authoritarian and demagogic implementation of a very invasive national identification system by the government has raised my ire along with that of most Jamaicans with whom I have spoken.
NO PROPER CONSULTATION
This onslaught on our civil liberties was achieved without proper consultation with the Jamaican stakeholders. After ramming through this onerous bill, the government, through whatever means necessary, must belatedly be compelled to consult, give legislative protection and most importantly, assurance to the nation that our personal data will not be abused or compromised. Enshrined in law must be clear, fair, privacy policies that cannot be breached by the government for partisan political mischief/one-upmanship or the miscarriage of justice by law enforcers.
Without a doubt, the government got their priorities wrong; they missed the point regarding consultation when it came to the collection, storage and the dissemination of said data. To achieve their hot-headed objective, they overlooked the fact that this piece of legislation should have been based on trust and protection derived from consultation.
While somewhat late, this tone deaf and optically challenged government must recognize that without the donors’ trust, forced as it might be, in the process and legislative protection by the government, NIDS is bound to fail, due particularly to the invasive and dictatorial DNA component of this vexatious piece of legislation.
SENSITIVE ISSUES
Thus, the following are questions meant to further seek clarity on the bothersome and sensitive issues of privacy and the securing of our personal data which many fear will either be trampled on or be, wittingly or unwittingly, exposed by the incoherence in execution surrounding the collection, electronic storage and usage of our DNA data in the new NIDS legislation.
Will the government clearly and unambiguously disclose to Jamaicans, exactly what they are going to do with the DNA once a person’s cheek swab is taken by the government? What provisions are in place to prevent cross-contamination? Will our international partners in crime-fighting and anti-terrorism have access to the collected data? If so, will an individual or his/her legal representative have the right to challenge the sharing of one’s personal scientific information with those international partners?
After the DNA collection and mapping, one would think that information will be inputted to a central electronic data bank, thus, for our peace of mind, can we be assured that there is air-tight cyber legislation in place to prevent cyber hacking and tampering of and with the collected and stored data? Will there be stringent criminal penalties to deter the illegal access, sale of personal data and or tampering by overzealous police officers?
Without impregnable firewalls and severe criminal punishment, it is feared that our data will be fair game for white collar criminals, underpaid civil servants and rogue police officers.
“It’s really inevitable that these DNA databases will be breached; this is just tempting, tempting data for the government,” according to Michelle De Mooy, director of the privacy and data project at the Center for Democracy & Technology, a Washington think tank on privacy and governance issues.
NOT TRUE
While not addressing the security of our personal biologic data, the apologists for the government point to our big brother to the North and the data collection methods used, but the picture these government defenders paint is not entirely true. The American people are opposed to too much governmental intrusion, they do not voluntarily give up DNA information neither are they forced to do so under the colour of the law unless they are targets in a criminal probe.
In my research, I have found that for the most part, Americans are worried about health insurers getting their personal information or the government having access to their information. They are also opposed to law enforcement having access to that information as is being proposed here in Jamaica. In a nutshell, don’t be fooled by the rhetoric as it relates to the USA, there is a great deal of resistance to DNA collection because of privacy concerns. We too must be so concerned and reject the government’s effort until we are protected legislatively.
Jamaicans love to emulate all things American, or better yet, ‘falla fashin’. Thus, it’s fair to assume that the majority of us are certainly aware of the American obsession with heritage identity and the bourgeoning DNA testing kit industry that mania has spawned.
This raises another troublesome issue, will commercial entities, particularly testing labs, be able to legally purchase or have access to DNA information from the government database? With a readymade DNA database, will there be a plethora of newly minted DNA testing labs throughout Jamaica?
‘JACKET’ CHILD
In Jamaica land, where ‘jackets’ are the norm, I fear there will be an explosion of commercial entities specializing in DNA searches and testing through the sale of DNA kits to check one’s DNA heritage or that of the suspected ‘jacket’ child.
However, as callous as that might be, that is not where the potential exploitation of our collected data ends. According to American experts on the commercialization of DNA, human genetic material can be extremely valuable to some commercial interests.
According to those experts, the proliferation or the illegal sale of a person’s DNA can make them the target of creepy advertising by companies aware of their genetic predispositions, like overeating or gambling.
According to Robert Lord, chief executive of Protenus, “Perhaps we start to understand that particular genetic markers indicate a susceptibility to more addictive behaviours. You could imagine that gambling institutions or casinos might say, ‘Well, you know what? Why don’t we target and segment individuals who have addictive personalities?’’ In essence, through unchecked DNA collection, therein lays the potential for exploitative demographic profiling and targeting.
Those concerns have become so grave, Senate Democratic Leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, called last week for greater scrutiny over how the consumer genomics companies can sell DNA databases to others. Schumer said, “Most people, if they knew that this information could be sold to third parties, would think twice.”
For Jamaica, these are uncharted waters where we will either swim or sink. No system in Jamaica is foolproof; every single one can be beaten with the aid of corrupt government employees. Hence, I caution that if the government gets its way in imposing this invasive DNA provision in the newly minted NIDS legislation, due care must and should be exercised in protecting our DNA data. Peace!
Omar Robinson, President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, says despite the continued bloodletting and acts of violence, bookings for the winter season, which is just 8 days away, are swinging upwards.
“It hasn’t significantly impacted the industry as the bookings are still coming. Both the government and the security forces are taking the required measures to reduce the crime rate. They are focusing on that. We in the industry are focusing on going out there and marketing the country – the benefits of coming to Jamaica and once they get here, to ensure that we deliver on our promise of providing that wonderful experience,” Robinson explained.
The JHTA head says the season is looking so rosy that it may perform just as good as last winter or arrival figures may surpass those of the last season, when 2.1 million visitors came to Jamaica’s shores.
“I think we will either do as well as last season or even better based on how we are pacing. The numbers are up so far in our traditional markets North America – Canada and the US. Europe is coming back strongly as we have secured some new flights from that region as well.”
He further explained that several discussions have been held with stakeholders in the industry to secure and increase airlift from the lucrative South American Market, especially with Copa Airlines, expressing optimism that this will materialize for the season, which traditionally ends in April.
“I think Panama presents a great opportunity for our South American visitors to connect, who do not want to travel via Miami, because of security regulations or that they do not have a visa so there is great potential to increase the flights out of Panama and hopefully grow the market,”
Mr. Robinson says the Mayor and the Municipal Corporation must be commended for a job well done in cleaning up and restoring normality to the city after the flood devastated some areas, even as work continues.
He says Montego Bay as the tourism capital, is ready for the season with lights repaired, verges cleaned along the elegant corridor, and renewed energy along the Hip Strip.
St. James may have been spared a much more violent brand of the bloody massacre slowly seeping across the parish, when news surfaced that 119 guns, destined for an already anarchic Montego Bay, were seized by US law enforcement. And while law-abiding citizens breathed a collective sigh of relief, many can’t escape the questions: what would have happened if those guns had made it through? Is there a violent war brewing in the criminal underbelly of the parish, destined to slaughter more innocent citizens? Is this time for drastic action?
Charles Sinclair, former Mayor of Montego Bay in speaking to the Western Mirror, proposed a simple, yet drastic call of action to the government and the Jamaica Constabulary Force – take the fight to violence producers to get the murder rate under control.
“It is frightening,” Sinclair said in response to the seizure of the shipment of 119 guns and ammunition, “if those guns got into the country, we would be seeing a murder rate that would be going through the roof. It is also frightening because it would be coming through our regular port of entry.”
The investigation, which is now underway, should identify who was the mastermind overseas and to whom the guns and ammunition were being shipped, as this was not the first shipment and it speaks volumes about our ports of entry.”
The guns were seized by agents in the state of Florida, upon their physical inspection of two blue barrels holding several items – a discovery the former Mayor found most pleasing. Despite this, Sinclair feels there is still a lot to be done in the fight against crime, turning his focus to our ports of entry.
“The authorities at the ports of entry need to increase their vigilance, monitoring and surveillance capacity more effectively, especially with those goods that that come in large quantities, meaning – motor vehicles, refrigerators, stoves etc., as weapons could be hidden in them. We need to bolster the examination process to ensure they (our port authorities) remain on top of what is happening,” Sinclair said.
Charles Sinclair
STATE OF EMERGENCY NEEDED
Last year, Senator Sinclair was one of the leading voices from the West in the calls for a full-fledged State of Emergency, and this year, 2017, following the many unwarranted acts of violence and killings sweeping the parish, remains adamant that such a tactic needs to be implemented in the parish.
“Since my call for a limited State of Emergency in May 2016 was rebuffed by many in the private sector and some in media, I have seen hundreds of residents, to include women and children in several communities, brutally murdered. This cannot be allowed to continue. In fact, with the murder rate in St. James racing past the 300 mark, or 150 per 100,000, the situation in the parish now requires immediate action that only a full-fledged State of Emergency can bring,” argued Senator Sinclair.
Senator Sinclair is also raising concern about the JCF’s deployment last week of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Clifford Blake, to Montego Bay to bolster its administrative arm in the region.
“It is my hope that the DCP has brought with him the additional human and physical resources to make a significant dent in the mayhem taking place, otherwise, it will be just another movement of another commanding officer to St James.”
He also added that it was imperative that action be taken immediately to improve the monitoring and security procedures at the island’s ports of entry, as the gun seizure in the United States was indicative that the system was not as secure as it should be.
Artist's rendition of the Christmas Truce - Wikipedia photo
Around Christmastime in 1914, along the Western Front of World War 1, soldiers of the British, French and German armies – mentally and physically broken by the nonstop gunfire and countless bodies strewn about them – formed an unofficial truce and ceasefire, and rose from the trenches that divided them to talk, exchange food and souvenirs, and even to play games together. This heartfelt show of men, intent on killing each other, laying down their arms out of a longing for their humanity, created one of the most iconic moments of peace in human history – the Christmas Truce. And under those vile circumstances, in one of history’s bloodiest wars, peace reigned in a place it had no business being – a battlefield.
This newspaper is reminded of our beautiful country Jamaica, and more specifically, the crime-plagued parish of St. James. Having already surpassed the 300 mark for murders this year, it appears that the once friendly parish is now reveling in the infamous and unenviable title of the murder capital of the Caribbean, and in some spaces, the world. As we have done countless times before, we can point to a number of factors that contribute to this sorry state of affairs, be it poor leadership, corruption, or just plain incompetence. This time, however, like the men in those trenches tired from the burdens of war, we choose to point the finger to our own collective humanity.
For the young among us, it would understandably take a wild stretch of the imagination to believe that St. James’ legacy was one of peace. People were their brother’s keeper, strangers felt safe, and neighbours were kind to each other. We used to be a giving people, and whenever possible, even without having much for ourselves, we ensured those around us felt as happy as they could have, despite the hardships. Are we so far removed from those days that we cannot have just a single moment of peace this season? Can’t we, for the lives of our children and loved ones, lay down our arms, if only for the remainder of this year?
It may very well be a pipe dream to believe that we can return to the peace we once knew, but if there is a chance in this season of giving and love, we should take it. It won’t kill us to stop the killings, even temporarily. In the end, to love and to be loved remains one of life’s greatest blessings, and in this season of cheer, is there a greater gift?
