Although violence has declined in some of St James' traditional hot spots, the parish has now registered more than 100 murders since the start of this year.

The unenviable threshold was crossed last weekend when the parish registered three murders. Since then, three more persons have been killed, bringing the seven-month tally to 104. A record 188 persons were murdered in St James last year.

The latest killing occurred shortly after 10: 30 a.m. on Tuesday at a car wash in Rose Mount, Montego Bay. It is reported that a car pulled up at the establishment and its occupants opened fire on 26-year-old Keno Berry of a Salt Spring address killing him on the spot. Another man was shot and injured in the same incident.

The recent spate of murders in St. James, which include last Saturday's gruesome machete slaying of 28-year old Sasha Houston and her eight-year old daughter, Whitney Nelson, in the Salt Spring area, comes in the wake of a new initiative by the St James police to step up their war on crime.

Zero tolerance

"We will be taking a zero tolerance approach to every single offence," Superintendent McGregor stated in a recent Gleaner interview. "You will be seeing more persons being arrested for knives, ganja smoking, the stealing of electricity and just about every other offence."

While acknowledging that the police were enjoying relative success in calming down traditional hot spots like Flankers, Norwood and Canterbury, Superintendent McGregor said the police were concerned about the increase in criminality in other areas such as Granville, Anchovy and Farm Heights.

We're concerned about the situation in these areas but we will be going after criminals with a view of restoring order," Supt. McGregor said. "We will not be letting up until law and order is restored in all these communities."

However, it would appear that residents in some communities are becoming increasingly impatient with the police and in one case has chosen to take the law into its own hands. Last Saturday, Albert 'Riot' Clarke, one the suspects in the murder of Ms Houston and her daughter, was beheaded by residents, who claimed they had become tired of being plagued by him.

St James has consistently averaged over 100 murders per year for the last four years. Despite numerous new crime-fighting initiatives and changes in the police hierarchy, the killings have continued unabated, especially in the squatter areas.