BY RAYON DYER, Star Writer
BLACK RIVER
THE ST. ELIZABETH police are reporting that 16 illegal firearms were recovered in the parish since the start of the year. This represents an increase of 50 per cent or eight more illegal guns that were found over the corresponding period last year.
Speaking in an interview with THE STAR on Monday, commanding officer for the St. Elizabeth Police Division, Fitzgerald Barrett, said that the type of guns recovered are mostly 9mm pistols and .38 revolvers. He said that in relation to some of these finds, the offenders are still before the court.
"Two of the guns were recovered following a shoot-out between the police and gunmen. Two were recovered in Vineyard and one each in the Point and Park areas near Santa Cruz," Mr. Barrett said.
He explained that the action of the police played a critical role in the recovery of these guns. This, he said, was due to the lawmen's speedy response to calls from some of the communities in the parish which led them to locate some of these weapons.
The commanding officer also noted that some of these illegal firearms were found hidden in some areas when the police went out on raids across the parish.
However, among the cases which make up this year's figure are two sudden recoveries of two .38 revolvers from a group of men in the Burnt Savannah area of St. Elizabeth.
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