OFFICERS from the community relations section of the Constant Spring Police Station in Kingston have been working with residents in the 100 Lane and Park Lane communities, located off Red Hills Road, to “mend fence” and pick up the pieces after the murder of seven people at 100 Lane in January this year.

One person was shot dead and others injured at Park Lane on January 1, two days before the 100 Lane massacre.

Following the 100 Lane massacre, the police have held meetings with the residents of both communities and have initiated programmes to assist persons in both communities and to bring about peace.

One of the programmes was the establishment of a skills bank initiated by the station, which was helpful in securing employment for persons in the two communities.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Claude Samuels, who heads the St Andrew North Division, told the Jamaica Information Service that persons from both communities have gained employment through the initiative. He said a number of persons have gained jobs at a construction site for a shopping facility on Red Hills Road.

In addition, Samuels noted that 22 young women have been trained to undertake jobs as cashiers at the facility. The six-week training course was offered by the Institute of Higher Learning. Ten of these young women graduated in May and the other 12 graduated on July 18. The training was financed by Lee’s Food Fair, one of the businesses in the area, at a cost of $60,000.

Samuels said employment at the shopping centre was not guaranteed, but the skill would enable the women to work anywhere.

“I am grateful for what the police did in allowing me to get a skill,” said Karen Anderson, a beneficiary of the training programme. She said she was looking forward to pursuing further studies and to be employed so that she can take care of her family.

Eighteen-year-old Park Lane resident, Tiphany Reid, said she has always desired to do further studies and was eager to jump at the opportunity. “I felt good going on the course and getting my certificate,” she said.

Dian Williston, also of Park Lane, was fortunate enough to gain employment at the construction site as an office attendant through the police skills bank. She was delighted that her son is able to be a part of a police scout movement for boys in the area.

Head of the Constant Spring Police Community Relations Section, Sergeant Donald Terrelonge, told JIS News that more than 30 boys from both communities have been recruited in the scout programme. He said the boys were eager to join and would cut across each other’s communities to be a part of the group and to play football together.

Rose, of 100 Lane, has two grandsons who are part of the Scout group. “I have no problem with them interacting with boys from Park Lane,” she said.

At the same time, she commended the work that Sergeant Terrelonge and the other officers have been doing and added that she had never before seen the boys so disciplined and neat in their appearance.

Twelve-year old Mario Fyne is a member of the police scouts group and noted that the movement was good for the community. “You can be a better set of people, if you work together more,” he pointed out.

The Constant Spring Police have also adopted the Mount Olive Basic School, which sits on the border of both communities.

Principal for the school, Sybil Webb said that the police often come around and interact with the children. A formal adoption of the school is to take place soon, Sergeant Terrelonge said, noting that the police would seek to enlist the support of the businesspersons in the area to equip the facility with needed items such as books and toiletries.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Samuels said the police were grateful for the support of the Red Hills Road business community in the effort to restore peace to the area. He said an extortion desk was set up recently to curb the practice of persons demanding protection money. “Persons have come in and reported these as they occur and they have been dealt with the police,” he said.

“The police effort is to be applauded,” said Red Hills Road businessman Mark Myers, general manager for Restaurants of Jamaica and a director of the soon-to-be completed Pricemart shopping facility. He noted: “They have put in a lot of effort in working with the community, and it is definitely working.” He said he police have also been visible in the community and their presence has made a difference.

So far, he has employed 23 persons from the community and said he hoped to employ more as work on the facility progressed. The 50,000 square-feet retail complex should be completed in November in time for the Christmas season. Myers said that he would again use the police bank to employ persons at the new store.

According to Myers, investing in the area has helped businesses to identify with the community and will act as a catalyst in restoring glory to the Red Hills Road business district.