JCF will assist Haiti if necessary – Anderson

Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson says that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is prepared to deal with any criminal activities, including illegal migration, that may arise from the ongoing unrest in Haiti.

For the past several weeks, the French-speaking Caribbean country has been torn by gang violence. More than a dozen police officers have been killed as a result of the crisis. Prime Minister Andrew Holness told Parliament on Tuesday that Jamaica was prepared to offer support. Anderson, who was speaking to THE STAR at a handover ceremony at the JCF's Harman Barracks in Kingston, said that it was impossible to ignore events in Haiti.

"You can't help but to notice what is going on there. Unrest in Haiti historically has created some problems in Jamaica, usually persons migrating illegally across to Jamaica and sometimes not here to stay but to move on," he said while expressing confidence in Jamaica's bilateral relationship with her neighbours.

"It is something certainly we are aware of and are prepared for. But we also have a certain amount of liaise with Haiti because of the guns-for-drug trade and the Haitian police service and so," Anderson added.

The commissioner also said that there was no confirmation on whether Jamaica will lend its support or how, a day after Holness had hinted that a team could be deployed to Haiti to assist in efforts to restore stability.

"Both the JDF [Jamaica Defence Force] and the JCF have been alerted to this possible course of support and they would have started to plan for such eventualities as part of their routine situational awareness and response awareness," Holness said in Parliament.