St Ann police are dropping Steer Town from their list of “hot spots” or crime plagued communities needing special policing.
Steer Town is a large, growing settlement near Drax Hall and Mammee Bay and half way between St Ann’s Bay and Ocho Rios, St Ann.
The community has been on the police watch list with several initiatives by various agencies of the police and also with many patrols and operations, and even a mobile unit stationed there at one point. The community had developed a reputation for lack of security and as a haven for criminals and wrong doers.
Now though, a senior police officer told the St Ann Municipal Corporation (SAMC) that Steer Town will be removed from the list of crime hot spots. Deputy superintendent (DSP) for police operations in St Ann, Ryan Gayle says the list of crime hot spots has been reviewed and Steer Town was being removed from it.
He was giving the crime report for St Ann at the monthly meeting of the SAMC.
DSP Gayle said the community has been behaving, “impeccably” over the last several months and commended them. He said policing tactics will change over the next three months while still supporting the community. The DSP said the intention was to open up Steer Town so it can get back its life.
