CAD backs National Arena warrant holds as Manchester raids yield nine charges

The Court Administration Division (CAD) has defended holding motorists arrested on court warrants in a bathroom area at the National Arena in St. Andrew while they waited to appear before a judge on the final day of a traffic-ticket clearing drive in Kingston and St. Andrew.

Chief executive Tracey Cameron-Anglin said persons picked up on warrants would usually be taken to a police lockup, but police needed them kept in a contained space because they were in custody for failing to pay tickets. She said many had multiple outstanding tickets and were actively being sought; otherwise they would have been held at the Ellison Road lockup.

Thousands turned out as the Court Administration Division initiative aimed to clear a backlog at the Kingston and St. Andrew Traffic Court. Some arrestees complained about waiting in the bathroom area, with one motorist saying conditions were unbearable and that staff could have cordoned off another section of the large venue. Others said they were glad they had not been placed in a formal police lockup.

Cameron-Anglin said 4,280 tickets were processed on Wednesday, with fines totalling roughly $30 million. By midday Thursday, 1,200 tickets had been handled. About 6,000 offenders were registered against nearly 45,000 tickets, and warrants remain out for persons with multiple tickets who did not appear.

In Manchester, police charged nine people after Operation Reset in Mandeville and Porus on Friday. Eight were charged under the Law Reform (Fraudulent Conveyancing) Special Provisions Act and one under the Dangerous Drugs Act. A 9mm pistol with seven rounds was seized in an abandoned building in Scott’s Town, Greenville around 5:00 p.m.

Operations Officer Deputy Superintendent Valdin Amos said the operation, which resumed about 10:00 a.m., targeted several areas as police searched for prohibited weapons and moved against lottery scamming. He said some scammers lease properties in upscale neighbourhoods for as long as five years to avoid detection, adding: “Wherever they are or hiding, we are going to find them. Whichever gated community they are in, we will be at their doorstep.”

On Thursday, head of the Manchester Police, Deputy Superintendent Odin Dennis, urged residents to watch for strangers in their communities, telling a Manchester Chamber of Commerce meeting at Gulf View Hotel in Mandeville that scammers had made the parish a refuge.

Separately, the Supreme Court awarded a police constable $3 million in general damages after he sued for $16 million over a December 7, 2015 collision along Vernam Avenue in St. Mary, when a police vehicle transporting prisoners was struck. Justice Sonia Winter-Blair found the crash caused cervical and lumbar spine injuries but said much of the claim lacked medical support, including alleged pain after sexual intercourse, and that the officer failed to mitigate his loss or pursue recommended follow-up care. The court also rejected his claim of six months’ sick leave when records showed only 28 days were recommended. Special damages of $30,000 were awarded for medical and transportation costs, with 3% interest on special damages from December 7, 2015 and on general damages from April 23, 2021 until payment.