The government has taken much back lash in recent weeks after National Security Minister Dr. Bernard Nottage announced new plans to fight crime.

Among the new initiatives the government has increased police officers’ work days from eight to 12 hour shifts and redeployed Defence Force officers to assist the police on the frontlines, but despite the naysayers police officers are on the streets in full force and without mercy.

Since last Friday, hundreds of officers have taken to the streets toting guns, infiltrating neighbourhoods and having no mercy for criminals.

From daytime to nighttime road blocks to bulldozing crime havens, the police said they are not letting up and proving they are a force to be reckoned with.

Several armed officers swarmed the East Street area as part of the force’s increased saturation patrols Wednesday afternoon.

Bus loads of officers were seen moving about crime riddled areas and several people questioned and arrested.

The Journal caught them through Hay Street around 1:30 p.m. where several drivers were pulled over and one man who was on the police wanted list, arrested.

Up to press time, the Journal was able to determine who that man is or what he was wanted and arrested for but police said they are happy to get him off the streets.

Just feet away from that scene, simultaneously, officers of the Urban Renewal Programme instructed contractors to tear down a building through Sunlight Cottage were criminals were known to hide out.

“Police have had to come here on numerous occasions to make arrests for vagrancy, drugs and other serious offences,” National Crime Prevention Director Superintendent Stephen Dean said.

“We’ve worked out the details with this the owners of the building and iron everything out and as a result we had the contractors come out to assist.

“This is as a result of residents speaking to us and we know we had to remove this building because it will eliminate some of the problems through this corner.”

Supt. Dean said for the past year residents in the area have complained about the activities in what was once a single storey wooden structure and noted that it was often used has a hideout for criminals and their weapons.

Pastor of Church of God of Prophecy, East Street Franklin Ferguson said he is happy to see the building torn down.

“Now this lot doesn’t provide a place for people to throw garbage and now criminals can’t hang out, this is indeed a wonderful work being done here today and I look forward to more being done,” Pastor Ferguson said.

“A lot of areas need to be cleaned up and kept cleaned.”

Bill Simmons Construction is partnering with Urban Renewal and has volunteered to do the clean up works.

Those arrests and that demolition was all done on Wednesday afternoon alone, police said expect to see more of those on a consistent basis.