Murder of 9-y-o girl, taxi driver a stark reminder – ACP Phillips

The body of the St John’s Primary School student was found at her home on Job Lane in Spanish Town, St. Catherine on Friday (May 9).

ACP Phillips said the investigation is far advanced and a person of interest has been identified.

The Ministry of National Security has offered a $2 million reward for information leading to the capture of the perpetrator/s.

“Several statements have been recorded. Several teams were briefed and deployed within the division and in other areas,” ACP Phillips informed.

“I left everything to be at the review with investigators and I was impressed to see [that] all the police officers came out. All the units were out doing an immediate review on that case. We must do everything in our power to prevent such atrocities from occurring in the future,” he said.

ACP Phillips was addressing the joint launch of four neighbourhood watch programmes at the Sandhills Vista Community Centre in Hellshire, St. Catherine on Saturday (May 10).

They are the Hellshire Glades 1, Sandhills Vista, Upperfort A and Sandhills Bay neighbourhood watches.

ACP Phillips noted that Kelsey’s brutal murder, along with the senseless killing of a taxi man on Old Harbour Road, also on May 9, is a stark reminder of the urgency of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) mission to protect citizens.

He warned the perpetrators in both incidents that they will not go unpunished.

While condemning the recent tragic incidents, ACP Phillips pointed out that murders in Area 5 have been trending downward in line with the national statistics.

“Since the start of the year we have seen a reduction in murders and shootings. A total of 60 murders have been recorded since the start of the year when compared to 81 the previous year, and a total of 68 shootings when compared to 83 the previous year,” he highlighted.

ACP Phillips outlined that St. Catherine South accounted for 23 of the total murders in Area 5, down from 32 in the corresponding period of 2024.

The greater Hellshire area has had only one murder since the start of the year and has accounted for eight major crimes, four of which have been cleared.

“These results reflect the JCF’s ongoing commitment to proactive crime prevention, strategic enforcement and community collaboration, while simultaneously maintaining public safety and creating safer communities. While the statistics are encouraging, we must remain vigilant and continue to work together to ensure these numbers continue to go downward,” ACP Phillips implored.

He noted that the launch of the neighbourhood watches is a crucial step in the Force’s deterrence strategy, which relies heavily on community involvement to identify and address the root causes of crime, provide support to those in need and hold perpetrators accountable.