Let there be peace!

Politicians, clergy moot peace on Crawford Street

BY HORACE HINES Observer West reporter hinesh@jamaicaobserver.com

Thursday, March 18, 2010

MOUNT SALEM, St James-- Representatives from the St James Peace Management Initiative (PMI), church and both sides of the political divide, yesterday met with residents of Top and Bottom Crawford Street in an attempt to end the bloody conflict in that section of the Mount Salem community.

"We are here to work with the Peace Management Initiative to see how we can get Top and Bottom Crawford Street to unite. We are also actually trying to see if we can get a six-a-side football competition, started between either sides and they need to come and play with the church on a round robin basis. It is not political, no one can identify to say this people this and that people that," said Pastor Frank Rosewelt of the International Worship centre faith Ministries. I addition to member of the St James PMI, Rosewelt was accompanied by the opposition Peoples National Party's (PNP) councillor for the Mount Salem PNP councillor for the Mount Salem division Averie Rosegreen; Errol Lamey, the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) caretaker for the Mount Salem division.

Residents from a section of the community complained that last Saturday night heavily-armed men, believed to have been recruited by members of the rival faction of the community, went on a shooting spree leaving some residents cowering in fear.

To prove their claim, they took members of the media to a house where a Molotov cocktail bombs were thrown by the marauding men on Saturday night.

"All about we a run up and down how much car them shoot up set pon fire all al little boy clothes them shoot up under a hanger. We can't take it no more peace me want. They are carrying men in the area fe kill we. We want peace," said one resident.

Mount Salem especially Crawford Street has been a relatively calm area until Wednesday night I got complaints from residents that one set is causing havoc, hence the walk through today to see that normality is restored," said Rose Green. "I have spoken to the police at the Mount Salem Police Station and they have said they have conducted numerous raids in the community but are unable to find the guns," she added.

Lamey, who is also a member of the Citizens of the Mount Salem Upliftment Group expressed the need for social intervention by the government.

" So far we are trying our best to come up with the answer to the crime situation and to find out who are the set of people engaged in the war and what can be done for them to leave it out," he stated.

"We are working with the International Worship Centre faith Ministries church we have initiated two prayer meetings at the top andd the bottom and are due to have another one tonight. In addition to that I believe they need to look into the Night Noise Abatement Act," he added.

A prayer meeting is also scheduled for tonight, tomoorw and Saturday night, according to Rosewelt.

"God has mandated us since January of this year to take prayer service out of the church into the streets. We are doing very well in terms of evangelising the people and we intend to do everything we can especially to set up Sunday schools to catch the younger generation early," he said.

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COMMENTS (3)

Fay Davidson
3/18/2010

I am happy to see an effort being made by the church and the state joined together. I believe many such small efforts backed by faith and prayer can produce great results. It is really good when the church goes out into the community of which it is a part of and becomes salt and light.

Yard Vibz
3/18/2010

Ms. Holland, you are being negative mom. This well organized project should be supported by all law abiding citizens in these troubled areas. Crawford St, according to my recollection, is a dead-end Street with fewer than twenty families, who inhabit the entire area. I’m not sure how the alleged bad men have zoned the area to arrive @ top & bottom territories. I would imagine that the first few houses that are located closer to the entrance of the Street are labelled as top and the others, well I guess they are in the lower end. The big puzzle in all of this madness derives from the immobility of the residents, who live at the lower end of the Street. I mean, how do they get out of the community, if the entrance is the only exit? Despite the puzzle though, the PMI are being engaged in a commendable and worthy project, and all avenues should be exhausted by the residents to rid their community of these morons. Peace out!

Leanora Holland
3/18/2010

They are just wasting their time like gunman a go listen to them. You live by the sword, you will die by the sword. Police need to kill gunmen now, today.

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Police threat level at extreme

Let there be peace!