Double murder pushes St Andrew South police division into double figures
SOE declared in sections of Corporate Area
Published:Thursday | January 23, 2025 | 12:14 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
The St Andrew South Police Division is leading the country in homicides following a double killing late Tuesday, one of the latest in a series of murders across the Corporate Area since the start of the year.
The violence in the St Andrew South Police Division and other sections of the Corporate Area has prompted the immediate implementation of a state of public emergency (SOE) across four police divisions.
The extreme security measures are stretched across two parishes and include the police divisions of St Andrew South, St Andrew Central, Kingston Western, and St Catherine South.
With 11 murders as at midnight Tuesday, the St Andrew South Police Division was the first of 19 to hit the double-digit mark.
The 10th and 11th murders occurred about 9:15 p.m., with a woman and a man found suffering from gunshot wounds along Rainford Road.
The woman, a popular taxi operator, has since been identified as Jodiann Pink, and the deceased male passenger remained unidentified up to press time.
According to the police, they were summoned to the crime scene after residents heard loud explosions.
SADDENED BY KILLING
Both injured occupants of the motor car were rushed to hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
The Hunts Bay Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) is probing the double murder.
A relative of Pink told The Gleaner that her entire family was saddened by her senseless killing.
“She work hard to make sure her two children nuh short of nothing. She is not someone weh make trouble wid people. Once yuh deh ‘round her is just vibes and laughter. It sad to see that she just drop out leave her yute dem so,” the relative, who requested anonymity, said.
Area Four Commander and Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Michael Phipps said the divisions in the Corporate Area have seen an uptick in murders since the start of the year from 22 murders combined compared to eight last year for the corresponding period.
“The St Andrew South Division has seen a 1,000 percentage increase in reported murders over the corresponding period of 2024. We will be using these measures to treat effectively with these very hotspot areas, which are known for gang warfare, which poses public-safety risk to, especially, our law-abiding citizens who have to traverse these areas,” Phipps said.
SOE TO BE EMPLOYED
A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) indicated that an intelligence assessment revealed that violence and criminal activity in these communities have reached a level beyond what standard policing strategies can manage to effectively restore stability and public order.
“By declaring a state of public emergency, enhanced security tactics will enable our security forces to disrupt criminal networks, apprehend offenders, and foster conditions for lasting peace. These actions will be carried out with full respect for constitutional safeguards and the protection of citizens’ rights,” stated the OPM.
It stated that the Government will continue addressing the underlying factors that fuel violence in these areas.