At the top of the newscast you heard police explaining stepped up patrols that are supposed to contain the upsurge in crime. Police Commissioner Gerald Westby says that senior officers have been called into the city to work along with extra personnel from the BDF, to be further beefed up by more numbers from recruits still in training. We got a look at the new police presence this afternoon.
Maureen Leslie, Deputy Commissioner of Police
“We will be increasing our patrols on the streets.”
The most noticeable increase of those patrols will be by foot. Teams of one armed police officer backed up by two armed BDF soldiers have been placed at ten strategic locations – hotspots if you like - throughout the city. This afternoon Sr. Supt. Chester Williams took us on a tour by police mobile of the strategic locations.
An obvious hotspot is George Street, which has been effectively locked off and down. It is being manned 24 hours a day by three separate foot patrol teams. There is one here at the corner of Tanoomah and George Streets; another unit just down the street at the corner of South and George Streets; and in the same area – there is a third team near West Canal and Rocky Road.
Entrance and exits to the mayflower street area have also been locked off. We met one unit at the corner of Lakeview and Vernon Streets; another at the corner of Vernon and Mayflower Streets, and a third unit posted nearby on Central American Boulevard.
And along with the foot patrols – mobile patrols like this one will also continue.
Police will also be installing industrial security cameras to monitor key hotspots.
