Dr Orleen Brown-Earle, associate professor in counselling and psychology at Northern Caribbean University (NCU), says when hardened criminals are scared or stressed, like other human beings, they tend to find somewhere serene and "safe".

"These men, even though they may be hardened criminals, need a comfort zone, they need a 'home', and some do go back home. They are going to find some place where they have not committed any crime, where they are not known as 'wanted men'," Browne-Earle tells The Sunday Gleaner. They are also banking on the fact that people do not know them, she adds.

Browne-Earle explains that in the minds of these men, they need to establish roots somewhere, so some will make a home outside of their sphere of illegal influence, hence they gravitate to the rural areas.

"They may even contribute to the development of some of these communities. The psychology of this is that the community is getting spin-offs, so even if residents notice anything odd, they will turn a blind eye and nobody will complain.

returning residents

"They will have somebody go in and vet the community before they move in," argues Brown-Earle. She adds that some of these men have excellent social and communication skills and are easily passed off as returning residents.

The counselling psychologist, however, identifies some red flags which might serve as signals to residents that all is not well.

The police, she said, can increase their surveillance activities by putting up billboards with photos of the most wanted men in strategic locations across the island; put notices and bulletins in community centres, churches, schools and grocery shops; make use of community organisations; and, revive community neighbour-watch schemes.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Derrick Cochrane of the National Intelligence Bureau echoes Brown-Earle's views, noting that many rural communities in Jamaica are considered "hot spots" for criminal underground activities.

'We have seen when the police intensify their operations in hot spots, criminal elements tend to be displaced - and most times not in urban settings. The trend is that they tend to go into deep rural settings," states SSP Cochrane.

- Lovelette Brooks