The police have significantly increased their operational activities during the months January to October 2008, compared with the corresponding period last year, statistics released by the Jamaica Constabulary Force have revealed.

Based on statistics provided by acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington, head of the constabulary's operations portfolio, for the period under consideration the police (regular and the Island Special Constabulary) have arrested and charged 25,547 persons (January to October 2008) compared with 20,372 for the corresponding period last year. This represents a 25 per cent increase.

In a release, ACP Ellington said the difference "represents a massive increase in our activities and clearly demonstrates that the police are out there working day and night and that there is no letting up of our activities". He continued that the police would be intensifying their activities "to dissuade offenders as the very busy Christmas season draws near".

In the area of traffic, the release continued that the police have issued 424,062 tickets for various traffic offences between January and October 2008, an increase of 81,008 issued tickets or 23.6 per cent.

Commenting on this significant increase, Ellington said: "Man-agement of our roads is a key plank of the JCF's overall strategy to dominate the movement of criminals and to maintain general law and order on our road." ACP Ellington also noted that close to 50 per cent of the traffic tickets issued by the police were to taxi operators.