Smith

Residents from the communities of Havendale and Meadowbrook in St Andrew can now go about their regular activities with greater ease of mind, as security measures have been beefed up in their areas.

On Monday, Member of Parliament for North West St Andrew Derrick Smith, at the Constant Spring Police Station, handed over the keys for two scooter motorcycles to Corporal Gregory Bennett and Constable Tammar Green.

The motorcycles will be used to speed up response to crimes as well as to carry out patrols in the areas.

Smith, a former national security minister in the current Jamaica Labour Party administration, stressed at the handover ceremony that the government was committed to fighting crime.

"You are dealing with an administration that is concerned with the people who have to face these 'dog-hearted' criminals."

He said, "We (citizens, political representatives and the police) will break the back of these crimes."

However, the motorcycles are one of the several initiatives between the Constant Spring police, political representatives and various civic groups within the areas to combat crime.

Crime-fighting initiatives

Linworth Sterling, president of the neighbourhood watch, while noting that the communities are home to many elderly persons, said that due to the number of robberies and housebreakings in the communities, various crime-fighting initiatives have been put in place. He said that, while these will help in keeping residents safe, they need to "be their brothers keeper".

Lorraine Wright, executive officer on the secretariat for all the communities within St Andrew north, added that, "if citizens can be friendlier then the community can be a much better place".

Wright noted that the civic groups in the areas are at present working towards having the citizens more united and cooperative.

She said many persons are so fearful that, "once they go in, persons hardly come out".

Despite the fear existing in the communities, Green expressed a willingness and readiness to venture into these communities.

Green, while noting that the nature of crimes has changed, said: "I am going out there to build citizens' trust in the police. And to maintain a relationship where citizens can easily relate to the police."