A State of Emergency SOE has been declared in three western parishes.

Prime minister Andrew Holness announced Tuesday morning  April 30 that  the State of Emergency in St  James , Hanover and Westmoreland  will be in effect for 14 days.

Speaking at a press conference,  he explained that the decision came  after careful consideration and review of the crime statistics  and  particularly violent crimes committed in some western parishes.

Mr Holness  stated  that  the security forces  advised that the situation warrants the declaration of the State of Emergency .

The declaration of the SOE comes days after Mayor of Montego Bay Homer Davis called for the measure to return due to the  growing rate of crime in St James.

The business community in the parish also called for action to stem crime.  An earlier SOE in St James ended January 31.

Meantime Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson cited figures  for the number of persons murdered per one hundred thousand,  which showed that last year Westmoreland was the most  murder dense place in the country.  Westmoreland was followed by Hanover .

He says figures so far this year , still show Westmoreland ahead with 29 murders per hundred thousand, followed by St James 27 and Hanover 18 per hundred thousand.

Meanwhile , members of the Jamaica Defence Force  and the Jamaica Constabulary Force  were deployed to St James , Hanover and Westmoreland at dawn this morning to enforce the State of Emergency in those parishes.

Head of the JDF   Lieutenant General Rocky Meade says the SOE will give the security forces temporary  additional powers  of search, arrest and detention.

Lieutenant General  Meade is urging  members of the public to acquaint themselves with the regulations governing the state of emergency to easily transit areas .

He says the JDF will work  with the media to ensure swift and open communication  of the  rules and requirements.