Even as they highlighted the good news of a 15 per cent reduction in major crime so far this year, Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Deputy Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang on Wednesday expressed concern about the emerging trend of several fatal shootings as a result of gang-related conflicts. .

Government officials were lamenting the recent multiple killings in Cherry Tree Lane, Clarendon, where eight lives were lost and nine injured due to an ongoing gang war. Similarly, gang violence in Pleasant View Hill (formerly Wareika Hill) claimed the lives of five people, including two suspected gang leaders, and the triple murder in Bowens Road in South St Andrew, which was part of a conflict in race between rival gangs.

Holness told reporters at a post-cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House on Wednesday that the government is looking to increase reward money for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of such crimes. He said the Administration is also looking at laws to deal specifically with these thugs.

With crime down by 19 per cent, resulting in 233 fewer lives lost and shootings down by nine per cent between January 1 and November 4 this year, the Prime Minister said the Government was concerned that the efforts of security forces in achieving these reductions “could easily be destroyed by a single incident.”

“This is of great concern to us. We looked at the laws and examined the possible responses that the security forces might have. The law gives some account for such actions. Under the Offenses Against the Person Act, a person who commits a murder, who is convicted of the same cause, especially if the killing is permitted in circumstances where the law appears calculated to create a state of fear in the public or in a section of the public, that the maximum charge should be imposed, meaning a death sentence or life imprisonment,” he said.

He said the Government had instructed the police to start looking into these types of shootings and seek prosecution in this regard.

“In other words, we need to start treating these incidents as criminal terrorism, and we probably need to develop legislation that specifically identifies these types of shootings — (resulting in) more fatalities. So we’re looking at legislation to see how we can craft specific laws around that or whether or not we have legislation that can be used together to create that impact,” he said.

“It’s beyond me why someone would see a festive event like in Cherry Tree Lane or Pleasant View Heights and open fire on a crowd. What other motive could there be other than sheer inhumanity and savagery, other than to create fear in a community and the public. Terror is the word for it. And therefore these people are not ordinary criminals. They are your worst type and should be pursued with extreme prejudice,” he added.

Recalling that a $25 million reward had been offered for the Cherry Tree Lane incident, the Prime Minister said the Government would continue to encourage the public to share information by increasing the reward offered for such incidents.

“We will look at the budget and see what we have. But we need to encourage the sharing of information, and whenever there is any shooting that is a multiple-casualty shooting, there will be a substantial reward to the public for anyone with information that leads to the capture (and) arrest of anyone involved. , including people who provide information (about those who) aid and abet in any way those people who commit those crimes,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chang, who is also national security minister, said the incidents, which are “deeply concerning”, are not random acts of violence but are linked to conflicts between organized crime groups involving gang activity, drug trafficking, lottery scam and the running gun.

He said the JCF is working tirelessly to maintain peace and security and bring the perpetrators of these heinous acts to justice. “We understand the gravity of the situation is to treat each incident with the highest priority,” he said.

“Police have seen a significant reduction in incidents of multiple murders. While the last three have shaken society, in a way, it’s more a reflection of the fact that society hears less about multiple murders than when they happen. It creates a kind of social shock and indeed we are worried about them like everyone in society,” he said.

“At this time last year, there were 78 incidents of double murder, with 156 victims. This year there were 40 such incidents, with 80 victims. Quadruple murders were halved from four incidents with 16 victims to just two incidents with eight victims. This reduction in major crime reflects the effectiveness of our strategies to reduce gang-related activity and violent crime,” he said.