Monday, May 24, 2010
Written by: Denise Balkissoon
Published by: Toronto Star
Posted by: Jayanta Saha
Canadian travellers are being advised not to visit Kingston, Jamaica, after at least three people were killed in an outbreak of violence by suspected supporters of an alleged drug lord who faces extradition to the United States.
Heavily armed police patrolled the Jamaican capital Monday, a day after the government declared a state of emergency in parts of Kingston, and Prime Minister Bruce Golding vowed “strong and decisive action” to restore order.
“We must confront this criminal element with determination and unqualified resolve,” Golding said.
The state of emergency covered districts of the capital where gunmen shot up or set fire to five police stations Sunday.
Security force officials said at least two policemen and one civilian were killed and seven police officers wounded in the attacks, which were reportedly accompanied by sporadic looting and carjackings.
The assailants were suspected supporters of Christopher “Dudus” Coke. The government has called on him to surrender to face a U.S. judicial request seeking his extradition on cocaine trafficking and gun-running charges.
U.S. prosecutors have described Coke as the leader of the infamous Shower Posse gang that murdered hundreds of people during the cocaine wars of the 1980s. It’s said to be responsible for at least 1,400 murders in the States. The gang is also said to have ties in Toronto going back 15 years, bringing in cocaine via Jamaica and Panama.
Jamaican police patrolled streets Monday around the poor Tivoli Gardens area of West Kingston, where Coke is believed to be hiding.
On Sunday, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada issued a travel advisory for Kingston and surrounding neighbourhoods, warning Canadians to avoid non-essential travel. The advisory said parts of the Jamaican capital have seen “significant upsurges in violence.”
In his nationwide address on Sunday, Golding said the state of emergency would remain in effect for a month and would demonstrate that Jamaica is “a land of peace, order and security,” where gang-related violence will not be tolerated.
The United States requested Coke’s extradition in August 2009 but Jamaica initially refused, fueling bilateral tensions as it alleged that evidence against Coke had been gathered through illegal wiretaps.
The Shower Posse is so named, allegedly because of the tendency of their gunmen to spray victims in a shower of bullets.
Earlier this month, Toronto police conducted Project Corral, a massive gang sweep in northwest Toronto. Over 70 people were arrested, a dozen of them said to be Shower Posse members.
At that time, police identified two alleged Shower Posse leaders living in Toronto: Courtney Ottey, previously charged with participating in a criminal organization, and Derrick Smith, said to be a key firearms and drug supplier.
Shower Posse members don’t necessarily look or behave like their client gangs, Toronto Staff Insp. Mike Earl has said. “They’re very sophisticated. They’re very smart,” he said. “It’s not like they’re going to be wearing colours or you’re going to run into them on a day-to-day basis. They don’t wear do-rags.”
They also appear to be unafraid of law enforcement.
“I don’t think they’ve been touched before. They themselves believe they’re untouchable,” Earl said.
Citation: Balkissoon, Denise. (2010, May 24). Canadians warned against travel to jamaican capital. Retrieved from http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/813639--canadians-warned-against-travel-to-jamaican-capital
3 comments:
I am amazed that a drug gang can have such an impact on a city. This makes me wonder how much control the government really has over its people. The Jamaican government needs to take more precaution ensuring that the people of Kingston are safe and that the right people responsible for these riots are held responsible for their actions. If the Jamaican government can not take control of this situation, then their tourism industry will be severely weakened.
By: Eyoel
I feel at this time it is significant for Canadian soldiers to stay out of Jamaica. We should wait until things have calmed down in Jamaica before we can step up to help; however, it is also vital and necessary for our government to take severe action against groups with links in Jamaica from Canada. I agree with you Eyoel! It is quiet shocking that drugs and gangs can go as far as making such a huge impact on a city. Violence seems to be increasing by the end. I mean, every morning I wake up to hear about a new homicide, abduction, abuse, assault or robbery and my question is, what is our government doing about it? We are constantly talking about theG20, economy, soldiers in Afghanistan and even oil all over the world. While these are important to our lives, the truth is, is our safety
even ensured within our own city? The article says that the gang has ties in Toronto going back to 15 years! This is ridiculous! Everybody knows that gangs exist but seeing it in words from a reliable source makes it that much more real. I feel the government should take more action against violence before the safety and protection of the world’s people become a question.
I feel at this time it is significant for Canadian soldiers to stay out of Jamaica. We should wait until things have calmed down in Jamaica before we can step up to help; however, it is also vital and necessary for our government to take severe action against groups with links in Jamaica from Canada. I agree with you Eyoel! It is quiet shocking that drugs and gangs can go as far as making such a huge impact on a city. Violence seems to be increasing by the end. I mean, every morning I wake up to hear about a new homicide, abduction, abuse, assault or robbery and my question is, what is our government doing about it? We are constantly talking about theG20, economy, soldiers in Afghanistan and even oil all over the world. While these are important to our lives, the truth is, is our safety
even ensured within our own city? The article says that the gang has ties in Toronto going back to 15 years! This is ridiculous! Everybody knows that gangs exist but seeing it in words from a reliable source makes it that much more real. I feel the government should take more action against violence before the safety and protection of the world’s people become a question.
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