Rocky Point needs a police post - residents

Following yesterday's brazen gun-slaying of Mardel Morris in Rocky Point, Clarendon, residents are reportedly cowering in fear and are calling for a high-level intervention by the security forces to quell the gun violence in the coastal community.

Morris, 27, was shot dead shortly after 8 a.m. when gunmen invaded his house and opened fire, before escaping on foot in the community.

torrid time

"I am just calling on the warring factions in Rocky to be calm ... let there be peace in the community for God's sake," the Rocky Point divisional councillor, Winston Maragh declared. "Last year, we endured a torrid time with murders and shootings and already there has been a number of killings in the community, including last month's double murder, so people, I am appealing to everyone for calm."

Residents of the area told The WEEKENDStar that with the popular fishing village being a major transit point in the guns-for-drugs trade between Jamaica and Haiti, the community is now awash with illegal guns.

known gangs

The residents proposed that the army be deployed in the community and a permanent police post be established to monitor the activities of the three known gangs there.

"There are three major gangs in Rocky, the Cubans from the west end, the Camtoms from the eastern section, and the 100 Man which are scattered around the community, have the whole place lock down right now," one resident revealed. "And where it reaches right now, only the army can control it by searching house to house for the guns."