New sheriff in town - Vows to bring peace to central Kingston

Following his appointment as commander for the Kingston Central Police Division, Superintendent Berrisford Williams has vowed to do everything humanly possible to bring peace and tranquillity to the residents in the blood-soaked space.

Seventy-nine people were killed with another 77 injured during 2021 as the division continued to be plagued by a deadly feud between the Genasyde and Darkside gangs since September 2020. Six children were among the victims of the gun violence in 2021. And the crime-torn communities have not been given any respite since the start of the new year as, within the first few days, two men have been shot and injured. Another man, 29-year-old Kemarly 'Foota' Cespedes was murdered along East Queen Street on Sunday minutes after leaving his house in Parade Gardens to buy seasoning at a nearby wholesale.

Williams, who officially took command on Monday, said he is well aware of the daunting task ahead but said that he is leading a team willing to reverse the crime situation on a holistic level.

"I will not be only focusing on reducing the numbers of incidents around any particular group. Instead the focus is on reducing the incidents of crime in the division over time. If this is achieved, all groups will be impacted less by violence, be it women, children etc," said Williams. He reasoned that many of the communities in the division are underdeveloped, which negatively impacts the behaviour of the citizenry.

"As it relates to the environment, I am generally concerned for children, not just as it relates to crimes which is one of the manifestation of the many issues facing the varying communities we serve. The issues include, but are not limited to, housing, social amenities, education, teenage pregnancies etc. This environment produces young people who are prime recruits for the gangs and the continuation of crime," he said.

Williams also said that the police will continue to strengthen ties with other social intervention groups such as Fight for Peace in order to help achieve its goal.

"We do have stakeholders we are working with. The results from these interventions are good. The challenge is these are not nearly enough given the magnitude of the challenges, so we are looking to strengthen in this area as well," he said.