Following mounting concerns of rising crime and anti social behaviour in transport centres islandwide, Acting Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington has issued directives for increased policing in these areas.

He said the additional policing will include business centres and commercial districts located in the 19 Police Geographic Divisions across the island.   The directives include the consistent and increased presence of uniformed and where necessary covert patrols in these areas. In addition, the Acting Commissioner says mobile patrols in these locations are also to be increased.   In a release on Wednesday morning the Acting Commissioner said all divisions are to receive additional resources to deal with the problem. He said this is possible as recruitment and training have been considerably increased with a number of passing-out parades scheduled for the next three months.   Mr. Ellington said highly populated towns where major transportation centres, large business centres and commercial districts are located will receive the bulk of the resources. The Acting Commissioner stressed that these directives are non-negotiable and went on to reassure the public that the police will take control of these areas using the resources currently at their disposal. In recent weeks there have been several stabbings and other types of violence in the transportation centres, some involving students.