BBCWS photo
By
Ricardo Swire
Jamaican security forces routinely challenge innovative criminal organizations and contest exceptionally high murder rates. After the first seven months and sixteen days of 2017, nine hundred killings were etched on Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) blotters, several committed by a criminal character nicknamed “Sadam.” The Hanover fugitive is wanted by the JCF for fifteen murders across the island’s western parish. On March 18, 2017 Sadam assassinated four residents at a shop in Bath on Jamaica’s southeast coast.
On April 23, 2018 a joint military/police unit under the leadership of a JDF Colonel, outfitted in some of 4,500 modern bulletproof vests and 3,500 ballistic helmets, was reassigned to Denham Town in west Kingston. The urban district is one of three laws enforcement “Zones of Special Operations” or ZOSCO areas. Six months after the ZOSCO campaign began in this neighborhood security forces maintained their “clear, hold and build” strategic plan.
To date Denham Town calendared three ZOSCO extensions. Since 2015 the Tivoli Gardens/ Young Generation Gang and Denham Town Coalition were violent rivals. The feud originated after Denham Town Coalition refused to conform, or be managed by, US jailed “Drug Don” Christopher Dudas Coke’s family syndicate. The community’s murders, shootings and robberies escalated. Tivoli Gardens was once an impregnable criminal fortress, ruled by Dudas and off limits to law enforcement. In 2016 the JCF registered twelve criminal incidents with twelve dead victims.
Between January and October 2017 seventeen murders occurred in Denham Town. The island’s national intelligence apparatus highlights twelve unscrupulous posses headquartered in this Jamaican community alone. Organized criminal entities named Upsetter Gang, Superstar, Strikers, Boys on the Bridge or Scare Dem Crew, Scream Corner, Triple Six, Tivoli Gardens aka Young Generation, Shooters Hill, New Kids on the Block, One Way, Broiling Gang and Four Storey Gang. A Denham Town splinter joined renegade Tivoli Gardens’ devotees, who have combined with disgruntled Golden Heights’ posse members.
In one confrontational ZOSCO encounter a fifty year old Golden Heights, Hanna Town, male resident was shot and killed by a JDF soldier on patrol. The deceased was accompanied by a group of men the patrol approached, near a party in the Golden Heights district. He suddenly drew a 9mm pistol and aimed at the JDF soldiers. On Wednesday March 14th 2018 as part of ongoing posse clashes a twenty-one year old man from Golden Heights, Kingston 14, was shot multiple times in the head and killed by a rival gang member within the Denham Town ZOSCO zone.
Ricardo Swire
Ricardo Swire is the Principal Consultant at R-L-H Security Consultants & Business Support Services and writes on a number of important issues.
No Comments Yet!
You can be first to comment this post!