Stung by the spiralling murder tally, Minister of National Security Colonel Trevor MacMillan yesterday vowed to use the full force of the law to stop the *lo**shed he described as one of the worst in Jamaica's history.

"Let me be very clear, that this Government will not hesitate to respond with the full force of the law to bring this situation under control and ensure that stability is restored to the entire country," MacMillan said in his first statement after being sworn in by the president of the Senate yesterday.

MacMillan said that he would be announcing a multi-dimensional response to the country's crime problems within a few days, acknowledging that criminals had been operating "with impunity" for far too long and that the State would not allow itself to be overrun by them.

"Regardless of where you live, and to whom you are affiliated, we will be leaving no stone unturned to bring the perpetrators of violence to justice," he declared to the Senate.

He admitted that the country had been experiencing "one of the *lo**iest periods of its history", noting that since the start of May, 181 persons have been murdered, an average of six per day.

"We are all shocked by the wanton disregard for human life and the brazen attacks upon even the most vulnerable in our society - our women and children," he said, pointing to recent killings in Allman Town in Central Kingston, as well as St James and Clarendon.

The minister's note of urgency appeared aimed at appeasing a chorus of calls on the Government to get more proactive in the fight against crime, as the murder rate climbed towards yet another record - nearing 700 deaths since the start of the year.

MacMillan's recent appointment to replace Derrick Smith came as part of the Government's response to the worsening crime situation and amidst a quarrel with the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) over how the developments were being handled.

In his statement yesterday, the security minister also admitted that the ambush and killing of two members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) last weekend and that of a member of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), while on operation, had demonstrated that criminals were showing no regard for neither human life nor the rule of law.

He suggested that most of the killings stemmed from conflicts between some of over 125 criminal gangs which the police had suggested were still operating throughout the country, as well as from inter-gang reprisals.

MacMillan offered his personal condolences to the relatives and friends of all who had lost their lives in the murder toll. He stated that the Government was fully aware of the need to address "deep social maladies" underlying the current crime problem as well, and was moving quickly to implement a comprehensive social intervention programme in "vulnerable and volatile" communities. The Peace Management Initiative (PMI) had already been mobilised in several communities.

MacMillan noted that there was an accelerated deployment of security forces to such areas but pointed out that the security forces had been over-taxed for sometime now, and that the current upsurge in crime was stretching the limits of their ability to respond to the crisis.

"I want to personally thank each member (of the security forces) for continuing to go the extra mile, even as we call upon them to redouble their efforts at this time...Let me appeal to all Jamaicans to set aside their differences and come together to save the lives of our citizens who are being killed daily. The security forces are depending on all of us to play our part," he appealed.