The community of Norwood in St. James has been placed under a Zones of Special Operations (ZOSO); in making the declaration Prime Minister Andrew Holness during a press conference on Sunday afternoon, said the security measure is being implemented to stem the increase of gang-related violence and criminal activities in the area.
Since the start of the year, seventy-nine (79) murders were recorded in St. James, which is an increase of twenty-eight (28) murders when compared to a similar period in 2020.
15 of the 79 murders have been recorded in the community of Norwood with a total of 14 shooting incidents
According to Prime Minister Andrew Holness, six known gangs are operating in the community. Norwood is the second community in St. James to be placed under the security measure, Mount Salem being the first.
Five ZOSOs are currently across the island of Jamaica. When our news team visited sections of the community, members of the security forces were seen carrying out spot checks of vehicles.
