Archive for July 23rd, 2010

Restaurant robber arrested

Restaurant robber arrested

| 23/07/2010 | 34 Comments

(CNS): Updated 8am Friday — Police have now arrested a 21-year-old man following a suspected armedrobbery at the Portofino restaurant in East End at 8:52 Thursday evening (22 July). Police said a single male armed with what appeared to be a handgun, threatened staff before making off with an undisclosed amount of cash. No one was injured during the incident. An operation was then launched to capture the man who was said to be wearing a red jumpsuit. He was arrested around two hours later but police say he was not in possession of a gun. The restaurant is a popular tourist spot in the Gun Bay area overlooking the Wreck of the Ten Sails.

The man remains in custody and police are asking for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact DS Joseph Wright on 947 2220 or Crimestoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS)

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Jamaican authorities enforce curfews to tackle crime

Jamaican authorities enforce curfews to tackle crime

| 23/07/2010 | 6 Comments

(CNS): Following the government’s failure to extent the state of emergency in Jamaica following the unrest in Kingston during the search for alleged drug lord Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke the Police Commissioner, Owen Ellington (left) has announced a series of new anti-crime strategies, according to Jamaican Information Services. Effective from Thursday (July 22). These strategies reportedly include curfews in at least five areas as well as cordon and search operations without warrants, which will be mounted on what police described as a "continuous basis" where criminals have been located.

 
Speaking at a media briefing at the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) headquarters Ellington said failure to secure the extension and the attendant provisions, which the security forces "relied on substantially" for the success of their operations, posed serious implications for their anti-crime thrust.
 
These provisions, he outlined, include: forward deployment of members of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) to areas assessed and deemed to have security risk elements grave enough to exceed law enforcement capacity; cordon and searches of premises without need for warrants; and detention of persons of interest without judicial challenge. In light of this, the Commissioner said it is necessary to implement alternative strategies and intensify those already in operation, in the areas previously under the curfew, and other areas of the country.
 
"The intelligence and the evidence which we have garnered through our series of operations clearly indicate that many of these individuals are on the move,” the commissioner said. “They are moving from community to community ….one of the things that we are determined to do, is to ensure that criminals do not feel that they have the freedom of movement around the country.”
 
He said there had been several seizures of contraband and the arrest of key individuals recently linked to drug trafficking and money laundering as a result of investigations.
 
Police had never anticipated that the state of emergency would be permanent and an exit strategy was in the planning Ellington revealed. “What has occurred now is that we will have to fast track this planning. They come with difficulties, but we are prepared to meet the challenges," he said.
 

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Tropical storm Bonnie heads towards Bahamas

Tropical storm Bonnie heads towards Bahamas

| 23/07/2010 | 0 Comments

(CNS): A tropical storm warning remains in effect this even for central and northwestern Bahamas and parts of Florida including the Keys as Bonnie which formed into the season second tropical storm this afternoon continued on its northwest path. at 8:00 pm EDT the centre of Tropical Storm Bonnie was located near latitude 23.1 north longitude 75.9 west. The storm is moving toward the northwest near 14 mph and a turn toward the west-northwest with an increase in forward speed is expected tonight and Friday. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph with higher gusts and the NHC in Miami said that slow strengthening is possible during the next 48 hours.

 
Tropical storm conditions are expected to spread over the central and northwestern Bahamas tonight and Friday. Weather conditions will begin to deteriorate on the Florida coast and Florida Keys within the warning area Friday morning.
 
Bonnie is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 2 to 4 inches over south Florida with possible isolated maximum amounts of 5 to 6 inches. Rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches are expected over the central and northwest Bahamas with possible isolated amounts of 5 to 7 inches.

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