Jamaican Posse

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The Jamaican Posse is a loose coalition of gangs, based predominantly in the New York City area, first being involved in drugs and gun-running in the early 1980s. It is widely claimed that the Jamaican Posses are affiliated with Jamaican political parties, such as the Jamaica Labour Party and the People's National Party.

The JLP posses dominate the east and south of Kingston and other smaller towns and the PNP posses are mainly found in the Western side and there are a few that state they are not allied to either Political party. These are often in the Northern slums of downtown Kingston.

In the United Kingdom they are referred to as Yardies

Contents 1 History 2 Violence 3 Political alignment 3.1 JLP Posses 3.2 PNP Posses 3.3 Unaligned posses 3.4 List of Kingston Garrison areas 3.5 List of Spanish Town garrison areas 4 External links 5 Further reading

[edit] History

The Jamaican Posses first began operating in the early 1970s, originally dealing in marijuana and guns. From 1983, they expanded into crack cocaine. Their centers of drug trafficking are New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Miami, with Connecticut's major cities as secondary distribution points (Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport). A number of Posse members are in prison in these areas.

Although their members originate from Jamaica, they are not connected with the Rastafarian religion, who predominantly associate themselves with the production and sale of marijuana. There is a rift between the two groups over the production of cocaine in Jamaica - the Rastafari are against the production of harder drugs than cannabis.

There are two Posses that come into the news and are well documented and these are, The Spangler Posse, alleged to be politically aligned with the People's National Party PNP (socialistic tendencies rumored to be aligned with Fidel Castro), and the Shower Posse (aligned with the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), and allegedly aligned with the United States and the CIA).

[edit] Violence

Jamaican Posse members are known for gun battles with the police and drive-by shootings in disputes with rival gangs over drug turf. Posse members are known for ritualized killings of members who "rip off" profits on drugs. The killing ritual usually involves the shooting of the individual five times; four to the chest and one to the head. Other ritual violent acts have included the use of laundry irons, chainsaws, hammer and nails, and butcher's knives. Posse members have little regard for public safety or human life. As part of their code, extreme violence is directed at anyone they feel has disrespected them or is in their way. Once in prison, however, their violence is savage but not regular.

The alleged head of the One Order Gang, Andrew 'Bun Man' Hope, was murdered in Spanish Town on February 8, 2006 which sparked a riot the following day.

[edit] Political alignment

The Jamaican police tend to ally themselves with the JLP and while the army tends to ally itself with the PNP.

[edit] JLP Posses

• Shower Massive
• Trench Town Massive
• Renkers Posse (defunct)
• Southside
• One Order Gang
• Precinct 13
• Banton Po
• Untouchables (defunct)
• Montego Bay Posse

[edit] PNP Posses

• Spangler Posse
• Jungle Posse
• Gully Posse
• Mountain View Posse
• Clansman gang
• Tel Aviv Posse
• Dog Posse
• Rat Posse (defunct)
• Cuban Posse
• Brown Posse
• JAE BONE

[edit] Unaligned posses

There are more and more major posses which disclaim their political affiliations because of the enormous power they possess on their own. Some posses were so strong from the beginning that they never had a political affiliation to begin with. Heres a partial list of posses that don't have political ties:

• Dunkerk Boys Massive
• Truman Arms Posse
• 8 ball Posse
• The Gucci Gang
• 98 Posse
• Du Rag Posse
• Much Love Crew
• Lock City Crew
• Kick off Head Crew
• The Gucci Gang
• Hype Crew
• Back 2 Back Gang
• One Don- View, Mili, Warm
• Fatherless crew from Rema

this gang has been alined to both PNP and JLP at some time it is said that they have taken part in more than 2000 murders since the 1980s (authorities in the UK have arrested/deported 200+ members of these last three posses in 2003 to 2006 and they have been left in disarray)

Some of these posses have broken away from bigger posses and they are known as Splinter crews or "copycat gangs". They are made up of a good amount of Jamaican born immigrants but most of them are Homeboys (UK, US, Canadian born blacks, whites, Chinese, Spanish, and East Indians). They tend not to be linked much with the actual island of Jamaica itself, but rather with the drug trade in their locality (in either the US, UK or Canada). They still operate like the other Jamaican posses and structure themselves on the three tier system. They tend to be very loosely knit and wildly violent due to their heavy use of A class drugs and/or hunger for money. There are probably thousands of these small indie cells in operation.

More will probably be added to the list as soon as correct info comes in.

[edit] List of Kingston Garrison areas

• Trench Town (DownTown)
• Cockburn Pen (Westside)
• Tivoli Gardens (Westside)
• Waterhouse (Far Westside)
• Riverton City (Far Westside)
• Payne Land (Westside)
• Rose Town (Westside
• Southside (SC)
• Denham Town (Westside)
• Wilton Gardens (Rema) DownTown
• Rose Town (DownTown)
• Payne Land (Westside)
• Hunts Bay (Far Westside)
• Washington Gardens (Far Westside)
• Olympic Gardens (westside),
• Dunkirk (Eastside),
• August Town (Mona),
• Papine (Mona),
• Nannyville (Eastside),
• Backbush (Eastside),
• Jaques Road (Eastside),
• Arnett Gardens (Jungle) (DownTown),
• Hannah Town (DownTown),
• Vineyard Town (Eastside),
• Rollington Town (Eastside),
• Allman Town (DownTown),
• Rae Town (SC),
• McGregor Gully (Westside),
• Mountain View
• Rockfort
• Shooters Hill
• Harbour View
• Jarett Lane (eastside)
• Tel Aviv

[edit] List of Spanish Town garrison areas

• Rivoli,
• Africa,
• Lime Tree Grove,
• De la vega City,
• Fish Ground,
• Manchester Lane,
• Lakes Pen.
• St Johns Road
• Homestead

[edit] External links

• Connecticut Gang Activities Group article
• Organized Crime in New Jersey
• The Mafia in New Jersey - Afro-lineal Organized Crime - Jamaicans

[edit] Further reading

• Born Fi' Dead : A Journey Through The Jamaican Posse Underworld by Laurie Gunst
• Shower Posse: The Most Notorious Jamaican Crime Organization by Duane Blake