WESTERN BUREAU:

The Montego Bay police say they will remain resolute in their fight against crime after recovering two firearms in separate incidents yesterday.

The police seized the illegal weapons and a total of 19 rounds of ammunition during separations which left two men dead in the early hours of Friday morning.

The dead men, are Nicholas Miller, 18, and Nagasta Longshaw, 26, of Salt Spring Road addresses in St James.

Superintendent Merrick Watson, the commanding officer for St James, said the police have received information that at least one of them was involved in the murder of Audley Thompson, 36, a driver who was shot dead along Brandon Hill, Montego Bay, on Tuesday night.

"The types of murders we see happening are indications that these are cruel, wicked people who are not afraid to turn their guns on anybody young or old. They are callous. If they are willing to shoot people without any regard for life, they will want to fire at the police. We have a sworn duty to protect the people but we also have to protect ourselves first," he said.

search operations

Watson said over the past weeks the St James police and military personnel had been conducting a series of cordon and search operations across the parish.

It was during one of those operations Friday morning that led the police to the homes of the men whom police say engaged them in separate shoot-outs. Two Beretta pistols were recovered. However, the relatives of Miller maintained that the youth was murdered.

"Dem kick off mi gate and door and tek mi son out a him bed, beat him and shot him in him neck and chest. There was no shoot-out and dem nuh tek no gun off Nicholas," a grieving and angry Rose-Marie Vaughns said. She said her two other sons, who were also at the house, were detained by the police.

Remarked Watson: "If people decide not to be taken in and fire at the police, we are going to defend ourselves and unfortunately, lives will be lost.'

Watson said increased police presence has led to the reduction of crimes in the parish, although he admitted that since January, 121 murders were committed, eight more for the corresponding period of 2009. Sixty-four illegal guns have also been seized since January.

Asked what kind of policing strategies he plans to implement to curb the crime rate, Watson responded: "There will be increased police presence and operations, particularly in crime prone areas. We are also making people be aware that fighting crime is also their responsibility. They see and know what is happening, so we want them to tell us what they know. We need your help."