PM Andrew Holness confronts gang violence in Cherry Tree Lane, Clarendon

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness recently toured Cherry Tree Lane, a community which has been hit by increased incidents of violence by gangsters, who in a recent mishap, have killed eight people.

The Prime Minister’s visit stressed the need for solutions to be found, which he emphasized at a key conference organized to address the problem of gang violence in Jamaica in general.

Cherry Tree Lane, which used to be a lively community, has become the focus of attention because of several episodes of violence associated with gang clashes. It has raised fear and unrest in the area for which PM Holness had visited to dialogue with the residents, leaders and police. Their attendance was evident that the administration is keen on bringing order and, most importantly, security back into the region.

Holness talked about short-term measures and long-term plans on how to curb the crime instigated by these gangsters. Such measures may involve policing up, patrol units, and other social intervention policies. The Prime Minister also stressed the need for communities to be involved in these causes; and the general aim was for sweeping change and unity against all violence.

After a significant and much-publicized meeting convened by Holness earlier this month, the decision was taken to deliberate on the increased gang violence across the country. The meeting was convened with the view of coming up with a strategy to combat gang-related crime, which embraces tactical and operational solutions besides embracing root causes.

Compounding this problem, fresh information finds some of the culprits in the mass killing in Clarendon having connections with criminals in foreign prisons. This incident has brought out the fact that gang violence transcends borders and has brought forth the need for better sharing of information and intelligence to combat organized crime.

PM Holness affirmed that the criminals from overseas and their associates were behind the mass killing of eight people in the region of Cherry Tree Lane, late Sunday.

Many deaths have been recorded, and Clarendon’s mass killing further enforced public outrage, demanding a well-coordinated approach to combat gang menace. This incident, which also involved overseas-based criminals, has therefore forced the Jamaican government to look for means of obtaining enhanced cooperation from other countries.

The government concerns itself with short-term security solutions as much as it does with roots of sociopolitical and economic nature that breed gang crime. However, the continuous effort will be very important to help Jamaica get through this difficult time of its development and to help the survivors of the violence earn the justice they deserve.