ISIS EYE IN THE SKY

On Tuesday, minutes before a gunman opened fire at mourners attending the wake for murder victim Sylvan Alexis, the drone was seen hovering above Alexis’ house.

Police believe it recorded images of mourners and pinpointed the target for the attack — Patrick Isles — whom ISIS members believe witnessed Alexis’ murder last Friday.

Police believe the drone was also used to monitor the movements of lawmen and information relayed to the gunman who then made their move. The Unruly ISIS gang member in question, has been featured in videos posted to social media in which he threatens bloodshed and mayhem and also boasts that ISIS fears no one.

On Tuesday night, Isles was at the wake when he was gunned down. Two other mourners, Selwyn Warner and Roy Brown, were also shot but survived. Alexis’ murder touched off fiery riots and was the first of four murders committed in Enterprise in a five-day period.

Contacted yesterday on the ISIS drone issue, Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon said, “If any type of equipment is used to spy on police, the police must be concerned and take the necessary action.

CITIZENS MUST HELP “The public in Enterprise will see an increase of police in the area and I am urging people to partner with the authorities, as the officers are there for their security and they should assist in ridding the community of criminal elements.

Many people in Enterprise are good, upright citizens and they must assist law enforcement.

“We are going to take this fight straight to the criminal elements and the police and other arms of law enforcement will be targeting those persons who are bent on illegal activities.” Inspector Michael Seales, president of the Police Social Welfare Association said, “Officers are in fact concerned and in some instances infuriated because of the response by the community (to) the presence of the officers, and that the community is not willing to partner with the officers, so that is where a lot of the confusion exists for the officers.

“The officers are concerned that a lot of bad things are taking place in the Enterprise area, but no one from the community is coming forward to give information that they can use to rid the Enterprise environment of the persons who are involved in criminal activity.” On the use of drones, he said, “Nothing debars the intelligence agencies from deploying overt measures that can take care of situations such as this. The association is quite aware of the various technologies which are available to the Ministry of National Security, and the Ministry of National Security must take the lead and provide the necessary support through its intelligence and its technology so that officers on the ground will not have concerns with regards to the drones or any overt actions by the criminal elements in Enterprise.”

POLICE AFRAID Newsday understands that Head of the Central Division Senior Supt Kenny McIntyre yesterday met with soldiers and officers on the ground at Lions Gate, where anti- crime initiatives were addressed and future exercises planned to tackle crime in Enterprise where eight people have been killed for the year, five of them this month.

The murder toll for the year yesterday stood at 122.

Police sources told Newsday although additional resources from other divisions have been added to existing manpower in Enterprise, police are afraid to work there because they feel their lives are at risk. Police who spoke to Newsday said gang members have high-calibre weapons and appear to be bloodthirsty and have no respect for the law.

An officer who spoke to Newsday on condition of anonymity, said he is seriously thinking of applying for leave because he is the father of several young children and he is quite aware that his life could be in danger every time he goes on foot or mobile patrol in the Enterprise area. He was eager for the authorities to declare a limited state of emergency in Enterprise.

The officer said he has often seen the drone being used and although this was brought to the attention of senior divisional officers, their hands appeared tied, because there is no law preventing civilians using drones except near the airport. In January 2016, the Ministry of National Security revealed that it was clamping down on the use of aerial drones to record personal and public events.

The Government said people using drones should register them with the Civil Aviation Authority as unmanned drones are being used in a way that could cause danger to people and property and might be an invasion of privacy.