Clarendon under fire

Jamaica has declared a state of emergency in the southern parish of Clarendon after eight people were killed in separate gun attacks two weeks ago, including a seven-year-old boy.

Seven people were killed when gunmen opened fire at a birthday party in Cherry Tree Lane, Clarendon, while an eighth person was killed in a second shooting. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Andrew Holness last Wednesday.

“This is an opportunity for the government to mobilise fully to have a very serious focus on gangs,” Holness announced. “We cannot allow murders to be normalised in our country.”

Safety measures introduced included nightly curfews, longer detention periods without formal charges and the ability by police to search properties without warrants.

Local police fatally shot Steve Smith, who was considered one of the suspects in the Clarendon murders. “He was wanted by the May Pen police for murder for some time and was a person of interest in several other murder investigations,” local police reported. Holness said he hoped the measure would prevent reprisal killings, saying intelligence had warned there was a “very high probability” of retaliation attempts.

The United States has advised its citizens to reconsider travel to Jamaica due to crime, and to avoid Clarendon altogether, ranking the parish as “off-limits” for its embassy personnel.

Meanwhile, Jamaica remains a popular tourist destination for Americans and Brits. More than one million Americans visit Jamaica each year, and the country was the most-visited Caribbean destination for UK tourists in 2022. Tourism bosses are hoping to attract 250,000 visitors from the UK and Ireland next year.

Jamaica last year ranked as the second-deadliest country in the Latin American and Caribbean region, according to a study by Insight Crime. St Kitts and Nevis is the deadliest.

Deputy Police Commissioner Fitz Bailey has said the shootings were a result of long-standing feuds among former friends who had a falling out in the U.S. “over illegally obtained gains, leading to each taking homicidal contracts to incite fear and terror.”

Holness noted that while the number of gangs estimated to be active in the country has shrunk from 400 to 185 in five years, the figures remain “very high.” The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has been looking to clamp down on rising gun violence through stronger law enforcement and stemming imports of illegal firearms.

Around 87% of guns traced in the Caribbean come from the United States, according to US government data.