Father absence tied to juvenile crime as police seize weapons and charge ATM security officer

Correctional chaplain Reverend Dwayne Nelson says absent fathers are contributing to Jamaica's juvenile crime challenge, after discussions with young people in custody revealed that about 30 per cent felt fatherlessness played a part in their incarceration and behavioural difficulties.

Nelson, who serves with the Department of Correctional Services, described father absence as one of the strongest cross-demographic predictors of delinquency and future imprisonment. He pointed to studies conducted in the Caribbean, the United States and the United Kingdom indicating that children experiencing fatherlessness are far more likely to display violent behaviour, join gangs, run away, become involved in crime as victims or offenders, and end up in prison.

Several wards told him they might not be in detention had their fathers been present, he said. Nelson praised vocational, academic and chaplaincy programmes at correctional facilities while calling on men islandwide to extend fatherly care and mentorship that could steer youths away from violence. Billy Graham once observed, "A good father is unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, but yet still one of the most valuable asset in our society."

In separate policing news, Clarendon officers seized a loaded black CG9 9-mm pistol with an obscured serial number during a targeted operation in West Content and York Town on Sunday, 21 June. Searches also turned up ganja, two Browning pistol magazines, ammunition including rounds concealed in a bag of cornmeal, a 12-gauge cartridge, a 7.62-mm round and a cellular phone. Several men were taken into custody.

That same morning, Kingston Central police responding to a robbery report at about 6:25 a.m. at the intersection of Orange and Barry streets arrested a man found trying to discard a yellow bucket containing a Browning 9-mm pistol and items believed stolen, including a mobile phone.

Meanwhile, 55-year-old security officer Terrence Austin has been charged with larceny as a servant over the alleged theft of more than $2 million from an ATM at a financial institution in St. Andrew. Police said the institution noticed discrepancies on Friday, 29 May, linked to cash it had reportedly not received since 29 January. An internal investigation allegedly found Austin, employed by a contracted security firm and assigned to service the ATM and check deposit vault, removed $2,045,300, an act captured on closed-circuit television. The matter was reported to police on 11 June. Austin was arrested and later charged after reportedly giving a caution statement in the presence of his attorney. His court date is being finalised.

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness said the Government is finalising plans to release public lands for sale to Jamaicans through a structured, competitive process while working to ensure equitable access for citizens who cannot afford market prices.

At Christiana High School in Manchester, educators and the National Council on Drug Abuse used a school health initiative to warn students that flavoured vaping and other nicotine products marketed to young people carry serious health risks despite industry claims they are safer than cigarettes.