DRUG WAR HAS ESCALATED IN INNER CITY, SAY POLICE

A drug turf war has escalated within the inner city following the
death of a notorious drug dealer, according to police sources.

Police have witnessed an upsurge in murders following the drug
dealer's death in 2007, as members of his gang have carried out
retaliatory killings and the battle for control of the murdered man's
turf has waged on in communities off East Street. A significant number
of the 87 murders recorded last year were attributed to this turf war,
police said, adding that murders outside of the east Street community
are also linked to the war.

Some of those murders remain unsolved as law-abiding citizens fear
reprisals for cooperating with police. The fear is real with police
acknowledging that witnesses have been killed to prevent them from
testifying.

However, this year murders related to the inner city have decreased in
part because some of the alleged perpetrators are in prison or are
dead, sources allege. Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade promised
to focus on the 'drug war' when he took office in December 2009.

With 48 murders recorded as of yesterday, the country could record its
third murder record in four years.

National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest told the House of Assembly
recently that more people who are charged with murder are on bail than
on remand at Her Majesty's Prison.

Up to April 30, 130 people charged with murder were on bail and an
additional 127 were on remand, according to Turnquest. In total, there
are 257 outstanding murder cases.