ReggaeMe (AP) - A record number of people were killed in Jamaica
last year, solidifying the island's reputation as having one of the world's
highest murder rates.
Police said the majority of the 1,680 killings - six more than the
previous record set in 2005 - involved victims of drug and extortion
gangs and occurred far from the island's trendy tourist spots, and
most were shootings.
The announcement comes as Jamaica prepares for the arrival of a
radical Muslim cleric who served time in a British prison for urging the
killing of Americans, Hindus, Jews and Christians.
Hinds said police will set up surveillance on Sheik Abdullah el-Faisal,
although it is unclear when he will arrive. Hinds said police also are
still struggling to resolve numerous conflicts between gangs that
often lead to reprisal killings.
The government plans to hire an additional 800 recruits this year to
bolster the 8,400-member department that has grappled with a steady
increase in killings.
Jamaica is still searching for a new police chief following the resignation
of chief Hardley Lewin in November after Prime Minister Bruce Golding
criticized his crime-fighting strategies.
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