Still under our radar - Cops promise to monitor those released from SOEs

All states of public emergency (SOEs) were lifted yesterday, and the detainees who were not charged have been set free.

However, commanding officers of the various police divisions in which SOEs were in operation say these persons would be monitored.

Senior Superintendent Wayne Cameron, commanding officer for the St Andrew South Police Division, said 50 detainees were released in his division.

"There are plans in place to monitor them because we have done our due diligence to collect addresses, next of kin and telephone numbers, we have gone through a whole process," he told THE STAR. 'We refer to them as violence influencers and so we have to pay attention to them."

SOEs give authority

SOEs give authority to security forces to detain suspicious persons, enter premises and seize properties without warrants.

The SOEs were rolled out by the Government in nine police divisions. Once arrested under an SOE, persons could be detained for up to 90 days without being charged.

Commanding Officer of Kingston Eastern, Superintendent Victor Hamilton, said it would not be a challenge for his division to keep track of those considered violence influencers.

"These are persons who were already known to the police, so to monitor them will not be a problem. They were always on the radar," he said.

Commanding officer of the Westmoreland Police Division, Superintendent Robert Gordon, said he is focused on protecting the communities to which the violence influencers would be returning.

"These are persons we believe to be in criminal activities so we will continue to monitor those places that we know they operate in to ensure there is no uptick in crime and violence," he said. "Our presence also serves as some level of reassurance for the wider community."