Cops say hot spots calm again

There is a level of calm in Bridgetown’s known trouble spots, and the police hope to keep it that way.

That’s the word from Senior Superintendent Antonio Forte, officer in charge of the Bridgetown Division, who explained that when there is criminal activity that sometimes overshadows everything.

“When the year started, we had all of these murders and shootings in areas within the City that created significant public outcry. We have been able to bring those matters under certain levels of control. I am not going to give a percentage, but there has been a certain level of calm,” said Forte.

He said this has been achieved because the police employed certain strategies which have proved successful to date. However, he declined to say if more resources were brought to bear on these volatile areas, or what specific methods were employed to keep the situation in check.

“The fact is, those areas still exist and there are still elements within them who can create problems at any particular time, so you really can’t draw a curtain over it and say that it has been solved,” said Forte, who urged the public to assist the police in weeding out criminal elements by providing the police with information.

“If members of the public recognise that it is a societal problem and not just a police problem, then we can be successful,” said Forte. (SP)