PM Declare State of Emergency in Rockfort, East of Kingston, Jamaica

Photo: X/ @JamaicaConstab

October 26, 2024 Hour: 3:28 pm

Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, declared a State of Public Emergency (SOE) in and around Rockfort, east Kingston, following the Monday night shooting that killed five people and wounded two, at a football game in the Pleasant Heights area.

The SOE was declared after comprehensive assessments by security forces, which indicated that high levels of violent criminal activity in designated areas pose a significant threat to public safety, according to a government statement.

The boundaries of the state of public emergency are defined as follows: to the West, the delineation begins at the intersection of Michael Manley Boulevard and South Camp Road, continuing northeast along Vineyard Road until the end of Diana Drive.

With increasing speculations on the streets about possible deadly reprisals for the five men fatally shot in Rockfort, east Kingston, on Monday, a state of public emergency (SOE) was declared in the area which covers several nearby communities where friends and foes of the dead… pic.twitter.com/eWwYy7IKSx
— Jamaica Observer (@JamaicaObserver) October 26, 2024

To the North, the border extends eastwards from Diana Drive to Lexington Avenue and then to Deanery Road, finally reaching an irregular imaginary line that reaches the shared border between the municipalities of St Andrew and St Thomas.

Meanwhile in the East an area is bounded by an eastern boundary extending south along the parish line shared between St Andrew and St Thomas to the coast, and a southern boundary that advances westward along the coast of St Andrew and then down the coast of Kingston to the intersection of South Camp Road and Michael Manley Boulevard.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness expressed his dismay at the killings in Rockfort, describing them as an act of terror that threatens the peace of the country. To address this situation, the government has declared a State of Emergency (SOE) and has taken decisive steps in coordination with security forces to protect citizens and prevent future acts of organized violence.

Both the Prime Minister and the Minister of National Security, Dr. Horace Chang, reaffirmed their commitment to restore order and bring those responsible to justice, prioritizing the safety of affected residents.