Police impose third consecutive 48-hour curfew in Old Harbour

The latest curfew takes effect at 6:00 pm on Friday, October 16, and will remain in force until 6:00 pm on Sunday, October 18. It follows an initial curfew imposed on Sunday, October 11, and an extension announced on Tuesday, October 13, which expanded the restricted boundaries to bring more communities under curfew.

The expanded zone now encompasses a substantially larger area of central Old Harbour and surrounding communities, including Marlie Mount, Smith Avenue, Old Harbour Villa, and Patrick Street — areas that were not included in the original boundaries. The curfew area extends from Bowers Main Road and the Claremont Housing Scheme in the north to Board Jungle and Old Harbour Villa in the south, and from Marlie Mount/Well Side Lane in the east to the Old Harbour Town Centre, Darlington Drive, and Ascot Drive in the west.

The escalation follows a series of violent incidents that have heightened security concerns across the town. The latest outbreak saw at least two women shot and injured in separate incidents over the past week, while a man was shot dead and a woman injured during a drive-by shooting along Ascot Drive on Saturday evening — an area now included in the expanded curfew zone.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Romario Rankin, commander of the Old Harbour Police Subdivision, said the security measure was necessary in response to the recent spate of murders and shootings within the designated curfew zone. 

Despite the recent flare-up in gun violence, DSP Rankin disclosed that the subdivision continues to record significant reductions in major crimes compared with the corresponding period last year.