Morotcycle mayhem

WESTMORELAND is recording one of its lowest murder counts in years but police say the parish is facing another public safety threat involving motorcycles, prompting a call for tougher national measures to tackle dangerous riding. Commanding officer for the division, Senior Superintendent Othneil Dobson said the police will continue seizing and prosecuting offenders but believes the country must change its approach to the motorcycle problem. The call comes as Westmoreland records a 29 per cent reduction in murders between January 1 and September 12, with the number falling from 28 in 2025 to 20 this year. But while the division works to maintain the reduction in violent crime, Dobson said motorcycle-related crashes remain a persistent road safety concern, particularly in a parish where motorcycles are widely used as a means of transportation.

A screen grab of Senior Superintendent of Police Othneil Dobson, commanding officer for the Westmoreland Division, speaking during a recent episode of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Force4Good Podcast.

Speaking during a recent episode of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Force4Good Podcast, Dobson said the police have been carrying out daily enforcement operations, supported by specialised teams, but dangerous riding continues to result in fatalities. “I would not sit here and tell you that most of the persons are obeying the road traffic law. Most of the accidents are a result of careless driving, persons not having the best will or thinking about the other road users. So, we have high numbers of fatalities — but it’s not a lack of trying from the police,” he said. Dobson reported the police have recorded some success, but the recurring nature of motorcycle crashes means enforcement must be accompanied by broader public education and changes in how Jamaica manages the issue. “As a country, we’ll have to change some of what we’re doing with motorcycles. Most of the stations in Westmoreland are overrun with motorcycles… You seize 20 or 30 bikes and you’re driving to work the next morning and you see four or five persons riding past you with new bikes. They don’t even come back to the stations to retrieve the bikes after going through the licensing process again,” he said. “So, as a country, we have to go from a policy perspective in terms of dealing with this bike situation. We will continue to seize, we will continue to prosecute, we will continue to educate... but the penalties just have to be higher penalties as it relates to bikes,” he argued.