GANG WARFARE HAS transformed the Corporate Area into a killing field and is said to be responsible for most of the murders committed in the city since the start of the year.
The Kingston Western, St. Andrew South and Kingston Eastern Police divisions have all blamed gang violence for at least 70 per cent of the deaths in their divisions.
The gang wars have transformed several communities into battle grounds as the gangs wrestle for control of the various communities. Checks by THE WEEKEND STAR have revealed at least 24 gangs warring in 11 communities.
Among the communities in the Corporate Area that have seen an outbreak of gang violence are: Majestic Gardens, Cockburn Pen, Balcombe Drive and Drewsland in the South St. Andrew Police Division; Maxfield Avenue, Jones Town and Hannah Town in the Kingston Western Division; and Franklyn Town, Rockfort and Mountain View Avenue in the Kingston Eastern Police Division. Red Hills Road in St. Andrew North is also another area experiencing gang violence.
"The murders in the Kingston Eastern Division have increased because of gang activities. Whenever there is a gang flare up, there are murders. At least 70 per cent of our 101 murders so far is because of gang activity," said Deputy Superintendent Doric Sinclair, commanding officer for East Kingston.
Residents said the gang wars began because of reprisal killings, firearms and fight for turf.
According to residents, the feud in Cockburn Pen reportedly started after the killing of Milton 'Ratty' Johnson in June. Since then, there have been several killings in the area. The last one reportedly took place on Monday when Errol Walker was gunned down on the compound of the Cockburn Gardens Primary and Junior High School.
But, the police said so far they have managed to reduce gang-related actvity in St. Andrew South. "We've managed to dismantle most of the gangs in the St. Andrew South Police area. What you are seeing is just fragments of gangs that were once in the area," said Detective Divisional Inspector Altamont Campbell. "The Oddie gang in the Olympic area has been fragmented and in Majestic Gardens, things have died down since one of the gang members was killed in a shoot-out.".
The gang war in Majestic Gardens which has subsided was said to have started over a gun issued by a deportee. A deportee has also been blamed for the last major outbreak of violence in sections of Jones Town.
In east Kingston, gang warfare in Franklyn Town has so far left at least 12 people dead. The war is reportedly between gangs from Black Street, Bray Street, Top Road and Franklin Town. They say each side is fighting to control the community.
Although the conflict has died down in recent weeks, residents are still fearful that the conflict can resurface very soon.
"Dem waan kill off di whola a wi round here.
Wi caan walk pan di street, wi caan even go town cause if dem seh anyweh dem si wi dem ago kill wi," a resident said.
The gang violence in Hannah Town has also claimed several lives. In the last six months alone, two vendors have been shot dead outside the Kingston Public Hospital(KPH).
In the Maxfield Avenue, the latest outbreak of violence last month was blamed on the killing of a man called 'Blacka'. That conflict has so far left at least six people dead.
The Kingston Western Police said more than 60 of its 82 deaths could be blamed on gang warfare.
Residents have maintained that in many cases men from outside the areas have been recruited by the various gangs to help in the wars. It is widely rumoured that outside men have been recruited in the war in the Franklyn Town. The East Kingston Police could not confirm if this was true.
The St. Andrew South Police however said they have received information to support this claim.
"We have found this to be true. In the Oddie gangs one of the men who were killed by the police was from downtown, so it is a fact," Campbell said.
The police said although they are stamping out many of the gangs, they believe the problem will continue if jobs are not provided in the communities.
THE WEEKEND STAR was unable to obtain figures from the Constabulary Communications Network (CCN) about the number of deaths resulting from gang warfare in Kingston and St. Andrew for this year as they said it was not readily available. But, for 2004 at least 138 murders were blamed on gang activity. Of that number, 62 were cleared up.
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