12 days following his arrest, dancehall’s Dexta Daps is still remanded in jail and will not be coming out for another week.
Dexta Daps whose real name is Louis Grandison was arrested in Seaview Gardens in relation to an ongoing investigation in gang-related violence in St Andrew. As the old adage says, where there is smoke there is usually fire. And Dexta seems to be at the heart of the investigation. The St Andrew South Police Division is currently in a State of Emergency and Dexta’s appeal for release was denied.
Innocent until proven guilty so there must be a reason why he is still remanded in custody. Dexta maintains his innocence and is anxious to have his matter heard by a tribunal.
I commended the police for their efforts following his arrest as they fight against gang violence in Kingston, Jamaica. It’s enough that the community has a violence issue but they also have to deal with the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic.
According to a recent Jamaica Observer poll, 35% of Jamaicans believe the COVID-19 coronavirus is the second-most pressing issue facing the island behind crime and violence. 43% said crime was the most pressing issue while a modest 15% believed unemployment was the major concern.
There is a clear and obvious issue with violent crime and we all wish for that to be addressed. As more COVID-19 positive cases keep cropping around Jamaica let’s hope the subsequent deaths do not get into the same bracket as violence-related. With that in mind, I understand the steps being taken by the authorities to curb the violence problem.
The Vybz Kartel issue and subsequent rejected appeal puts everything into perspective. It will obviously take time as the violence is rooted in the rudeboy/badmun culture. Let’s see how things pan out with Dexta Daps. Let’s hope justice is served.
