分类： society

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A fatal police shooting of a 30-year-old local man last Tuesday has ignited widespread anger among residents of Jones Town, a community in the heart of Kingston, triggering hours of demonstrations that included road blockades across the neighborhood. The victim has been formally identified as Alexander Marsh, a 30-year-old who went by the nickname “Choco” and resided at 30½ Penn Street in Jones Town.

Superintendent Brian Henry, head of the Kingston Western Police Division, outlined the law enforcement agency’s account of the incident to media and community stakeholders. According to Henry, at approximately 8:40 p.m. that evening, members of the division’s Operational Support Team were conducting routine patrols in the adjacent Admiral Town area when they spotted a man acting in a manner that raised their suspicion. The man, later confirmed to be Marsh, fled into a private residential yard along Penn Street immediately after making eye contact with the patrol officers.

Officers followed Marsh onto the property, Henry said, where the 30-year-old allegedly drew and aimed a loaded sub-machine gun at the pursuing law enforcement personnel. “Fearing for their own safety, the officers opened fire on the man,” Henry stated in the official police account. Marsh was struck by gunfire and immediately rushed to Kingston Public Hospital for emergency treatment, but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Responding officers recovered the alleged sub-machine gun along with three 9mm rounds from the scene after the encounter, per police reports.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Jones Town residents took to the streets to protest the killing, blocking multiple major and minor roadways through the community. The demonstrations continued overnight and persisted into the following morning, according to Henry. In comments that have drawn additional criticism from local observers, the superintendent characterized the protests as a recurring pattern for the community. “The road blockages and unlawful demonstrations have long been a customary practice for people in this specific area,” he said, calling on residents to stand down and let official investigations proceed unimpeded.

Per standard protocol for police-involved fatalities, two independent oversight bodies have launched probes into the incident: the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom), Jamaica’s national police oversight agency, and the Inspectorate of Professional Standards Oversight Bureau within the Jamaica Constabulary Force. Henry has issued a public appeal for any witnesses or community members with additional information about the encounter to contact investigators to support the inquiry.

Henry also addressed long-standing community concerns about violent crime in Jones Town, confirming that the neighborhood continues to grapple with internal gang-related conflicts. He noted that out of the 12 homicides recorded across the entire Kingston Western Police Division since the start of the calendar year, two have occurred within Jones Town’s boundaries. Since January, the division has seized 15 illegal firearms, four of which were recovered in Jones Town, according to police data.

To address the ongoing violence, Henry said the Jamaica Constabulary Force is ramping up community outreach initiatives while executing targeted anti-crime operations designed to improve public safety for local residents. He also pointed to recent progress in reducing violent crime across the division, noting that the entire Kingston Western division recorded zero homicides in the month of April. “This is the outcome we hope to replicate moving forward,” he said. “Our officers are working tirelessly to achieve this, and we are already seeing measurable progress in our crime reduction efforts.”

In Manchester, Jamaica, a leading local mining firm has turned its commitment to community development into tangible action for the next generation. Jamalco, a prominent regional mining operator, has recently handed over more than $2 million worth of specialized tools and machinery to upgrade the woodwork and electrical laboratories at Porus High School, a campus that serves dozens of communities across the company’s operating footprint.

In an official statement released this Monday, the company outlined that the new donation is designed to address a longstanding gap in the school’s technical training capacity. For years, Porus High offered dedicated coursework in woodwork and electrical trades, but insufficient equipment left instructors unable to deliver the hands-on practice required for students to master their craft and prepare for industry-recognized certification. With the new tools in place, the school will now be able to fully equip students working toward national and international credentials through the National Council on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NCTVET) and City & Guilds examination frameworks.

At the formal handover ceremony, Jamalco’s General Manager Shanice Neisbeth-Castle delivered a motivating address to the assembled students, urging them to leverage this new opportunity to build intentional futures. “Every single time you step into the woodwork and electrical labs, visualise what you will look like 10 years from now and what you will achieve because you worked hard at developing this skill,” she told the crowd.

Moments after the ceremony concluded, Derrick Garnett, the school’s lead industrial techniques teacher, was already walking groups of curious students through the new woodwork equipment, pointing out specialized features that will allow them to take on more complex projects than ever before.

Christopher Buckmaster, Jamalco’s Director of Human Resources, Security and Corporate Services, explained that the lab upgrade is far more than a one-off donation: it is a core part of the company’s long-standing mission to empower young people through accessible, high-quality education. “Our contribution reflects our commitment to equipping students with the tools they need to transform their own lives and shape a better future,” Buckmaster shared. “Without access to the right tools, students are limited in developing the practical skills and technical knowledge required for further education and the workforce. This investment is about building capacity, expanding opportunities, and boosting students’ confidence in using these resources.”

Dr. Garth Anderson, chairman of Jamalco’s board of directors, emphasized the deep community ties behind the initiative, noting that a large share of Porus High’s student body hails from local communities directly surrounding the company’s operations, including Harmons, St Toolies, Rheeveswood, and a number of adjacent neighborhoods. “This donation represents Jamalco giving back to the communities it serves,” he said. “It is a meaningful contribution toward advancing technical skills and empowering our young people.”

Rhoda-Moy Crawford, State Minister for Jamaica’s Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, served as the event’s keynote speaker, and praised the partnership between the private mining firm and the public secondary school. She highlighted that the investment comes at a critical moment for Jamaica’s push to expand skills-based training that drives national economic growth. “The strengthening of these laboratories comes at a time when there is increasing demand for skills-based training,” she said. “We value public-private partnerships like this, as they play a vital role in advancing both our students and our country.” Crawford also encouraged students to care for the new equipment and make the most of the expanded learning opportunities now available to them.

Audrey Blake, Vice Principal of Porus High School, echoed that sentiment, laying out the school’s long-standing challenge of under-resourcing technical programs. “While the school has dedicated classrooms for woodwork and electrical studies, they were previously under-equipped for effective practical instruction and examination readiness,” Blake explained in her overview of the project. “Jamalco was approached to assist, and they have delivered in a meaningful way. This equipment will support lifelong learning and skills development for our students for years to come.”

A coordinated law enforcement sweep across Santa Cruz and surrounding communities in Jamaica’s St Elizabeth parish delivered measurable results Monday, with local police confirming 16 people taken into custody for questioning and an illegal handgun seized before the operation concluded without incident.

Launching the multi-faceted operation just before dawn at approximately 4:00 a.m., authorities focused their search on four key communities within the Santa Cruz policing district: Leeds, Goshen, Seven Corners, and Providence Acres, St Elizabeth Police Division Superintendent Coleridge Minto explained in an official video statement. Alongside the 16 detentions, officers recovered one unregistered 9mm Taurus pistol during a targeted raid on a local property, Minto added.

The superintendent highlighted that the operation proceeded peacefully thanks to widespread cooperation from local residents, even during the raid that recovered the prohibited firearm. No force was required to carry out the search, as occupants of the property complied fully with law enforcement instructions, and all detained individuals will receive due process in the court system, he emphasized.

The successful Monday operation is part of an ongoing, targeted crackdown on serious criminal activity across St Elizabeth, Minto confirmed, noting that a murder suspect already turned themselves in to authorities over the preceding weekend. He issued a clear warning to individuals with outstanding warrants who remain at large: the police division will not pause its anti-crime operations until all suspects linked to violent offenses including murder, armed robbery, and shootings are taken into custody.

Minto also issued a public appeal to anyone listed as a wanted person or person of interest to voluntarily resolve their legal status. He urged these individuals to secure representation from either an attorney or a Justice of the Peace, then report to the closest police station to face their charges in court.

Beyond anti-crime enforcement, the operation also included a traffic safety sweep. Sergeant Albert Simpson, acting head of the St Elizabeth traffic department, announced that officers issued more than 100 citations for moving and stationary traffic violations during the day’s activities. Simpson added that proactive traffic enforcement will continue moving forward, even as the parish has recorded a notable drop in road fatalities compared to the same period one year prior.

PARAMARIBO, Suriname – Law enforcement authorities in Suriname have taken two individuals, one Cuban national and one Surinamese citizen, into custody following an investigation into a chilling case of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Police reports confirm the pair allegedly lured a female victim to the South American nation under false pretenses, then coerced her into sex work before she managed to flee her captors.

The case came to light last week, when the victim reached out to Suriname’s official Trafficking in Persons (TIP) department to report her ordeal. Her formal complaint triggered an immediate joint investigation involving TIP investigators and multiple regional law enforcement units, which quickly culminated in the two arrests. Authorities confirm the suspects were processed and remanded to custody following official consultation with the Suriname Public Prosecution Service.

Preliminary findings from the ongoing investigation detail a pattern of abuse: the victim was promised a legitimate opportunity to relocate to Suriname, only to be forced into prostitution at local nightclubs and a remote inland brothel upon arrival. Beyond forced labor, the victim endured severe restrictions on her freedom and ongoing intimidation. Investigators confirm she was subjected to repeated systematic threats, and all earnings generated from her forced work were seized by the accused traffickers.

At this stage of the probe, law enforcement officials say they are working to determine whether additional co-conspirators are connected to the trafficking ring. Suriname Police have emphasized that human trafficking is a uniquely devastating underreported crime, urging the public to familiarize themselves with common signs of exploitation and come forward with any information about suspicious activity that could indicate trafficking operations.

Against the backdrop of an incoming Atlantic hurricane season, a senior Jamaican faith leader has amplified a pressing demand for the national government to extend formal state funding to faith-based social outreach initiatives and formally integrate churches into the country’s national disaster response infrastructure.

Pastor Dr Donville Bell, chairman of the Word Power Ministry Board, laid out this call to action during the 18th annual Word Power Conference, hosted Saturday in St Catherine, where he highlighted the underrecognized, frontline role faith institutions have long played during national crises across the island.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially launched on June 1, and forecasters have already projected that 2024 could bring another above-average, highly active season of storm activity. Bell stressed that despite a long track record of churches stepping in as critical first responders when disaster strikes, these trusted community institutions are routinely sidelined when emergency resources and formal planning are distributed.

“Long before displaced or crisis-stricken families can reach a government service agency, the local church is their first point of contact,” Bell told conference attendees. “In moments of chaos and uncertainty, people turn to the faces and institutions they know and trust. For the vast majority of Jamaican communities, that trusted anchor is the church.”

Bell pointed to the widespread devastation left by Hurricane Melissa as a clear case study of the irreplaceable work churches carry out. When entire communities were reeling from the storm’s destructive impact, faith institutions across affected regions opened their facilities as emergency shelters, distributed food and essential care packages, served thousands of hot meals, and provided much-needed emotional and spiritual counseling for families grappling with trauma and the loss of homes and property.

“When Hurricane Melissa displaced hundreds of residents, the church acted without hesitation,” Bell recalled. “We formed informal partnerships with state agencies and local community groups to meet overwhelming need, but all too often, churches are expected to deliver this life-saving compassionate work without the sustained financial support or core resources required to scale these efforts.”

Beyond disaster response, Bell noted that faith-based organizations have been competent, long-standing partners to the state in addressing a wide range of persistent social challenges, from deep-rooted poverty and community violence to youth delinquency, family breakdown, and ongoing social support. Yet despite the consistent government reliance on churches to deliver frontline community services, these institutions are frequently locked out of formal state funding streams and national disaster preparedness frameworks.

“The government regularly calls on churches to back national social initiatives and community programs, but many congregations are expected to do this work with extremely limited resources, and in some cases no public funding at all,” Bell explained. “While we are deeply honored to serve our neighbors, even the most devout among us know it takes resources to provide consistent care. This work has grown even more difficult in recent months, as churches face spiking utility costs at the same time they are supporting local families grappling with steep cost-of-living increases. We have to end the unfair practice that directs the vast majority of social assistance funding to other local development partners, and instead ensure faith institutions have the adequate resources they need to keep serving on the front lines of community care.”

Bell is calling on Jamaican policymakers to move quickly to formally add faith-based organizations to the country’s official hurricane preparedness and disaster management frameworks, ahead of what could be a damaging storm season.

“We currently collaborate ad hoc with Municipal Corporations and the Social Development Commission when disaster strikes, but we need a formal seat at the table every time the country plans for natural hazards like hurricanes,” Bell said. “Integrating faith institutions into preparedness planning from the earliest stages will strengthen overall community resilience, improve emergency response outcomes, and reinforce social support systems in vulnerable neighborhoods year-round. It’s time to turn this long-overdue change into action now.”

A Jamaican adult child has reached out to prominent women’s rights legal advocate Margarette May Macaulay for urgent help, detailing years of escalating abuse and exploitation their mother has endured at the hands of her husband. In a distressing plea shared with Macaulay’s public advice column, the child explains that their mother has been trapped in a toxic marriage for over a decade, and the ongoing abuse has now reached a point where the mother’s life is at imminent risk.

On Jamaica’s annual Labour Day, a cross-group community initiative has transformed the outdoor grounds of Tarrant Primary School in St Andrew, delivering a long-lasting environmental and educational gift to students and staff. The project, a joint effort between the school’s K-Kids program, the Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew, and the Kiwanis Club of Constant Spring, was carried out in partnership with Jamaica’s national Forestry Department.

Volunteers spent the day working side-by-side to plant a variety of native fruit trees across the school campus and install a fully connected irrigation system linked to an on-site water storage tank. The new system will ensure the young saplings receive consistent moisture as they grow, increasing their chances of maturing into productive trees that can provide fruit for the school community for years to come.

Dozens of volunteers from multiple youth and adult organizations turned out to contribute manual labor to the project. Key participants included Michael Powell, Lieutenant Governor for Kiwanis Division 23, which covers Eastern Canada and the Caribbean; Hadajah Freebourne-Raffington, Principal of Tarrant Primary School; Maurice Livingston, President of the Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew; and Demar Lyle, President of the Kiwanis Club of Constant Spring. They were joined by other adult Kiwanis members, student volunteers from the St Andrew High School Key Club, and the young participants of Tarrant Primary’s own K-Kids program, who took an active role in the planting work.

Labour Day in Jamaica has long been marked by national community service projects, with groups across the country coming together to improve public spaces, schools, and local neighborhoods. This initiative aligns perfectly with that tradition, combining environmental action, youth engagement, and community investment to benefit a local public school. For students, the new orchard will also serve as an outdoor classroom, offering opportunities to learn about plant growth, sustainable food production, and environmental stewardship long after the planting day ends.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – A tragic incident has sent shockwaves through a small coastal Trinidadian community after the body of a missing 12-year-old girl was recovered on a remote oil well access road, with a local man now in custody aiding law enforcement’s ongoing probe.

The victim, identified as Mercedez Layne, was first reported missing to authorities on Saturday. According to official police statements, the preteen had stayed overnight at her grandfather’s home before he placed her into a private vehicle arranged to take her back to her own residence. What was supposed to be a routine short trip quickly turned into a nightmare, when the child never arrived at her destination.

Alarmed by Mercedez’s disappearance, the girl’s mother and her grandfather traveled together to the Erin Police Station to file an official missing person report. Law enforcement immediately launched a coordinated search and investigation into the case. Following leads pulled from witness tips and a review of closed-circuit security camera footage, investigators were able to pinpoint the vehicle Mercedez was last seen riding in. The vehicle was later found abandoned; investigators processed the scene, documented the car with photographic evidence, and transported it to the Erin Police Station to be retained as evidence for the continuing inquiry.

On Sunday, a routine work check led to the grim discovery of the young girl’s body. An employee of a local oil company was heading out to inspect an oil well when he came across the body of a young female, lying face down along the unpaved access road leading to the well site. The worker contacted the Erin Police Station immediately, and first responders rushed to the remote location. After processing the crime scene, the body was formally confirmed to be that of the missing 12-year-old.

Local law enforcement confirmed to Caribbean Media Corporation that a 26-year-old man has been taken into custody in connection with Mercedez’s death, and remains in police custody as investigators continue to piece together the full circumstances of the case.