Park, 100 Lane residents fear scale down of command post
RESIDENTS of Park and 100 Lane, where seven people were slaughtered in January 2002, fear that plans by the police and army to scale down a joint command post in the community could lead to an upsurge of violence in the troubled communities.
“Right now me nuh want the police post move, because if the police them move out a here then the war a go start back again, an nuff people a go dead,” one visibly upset young man from 100 Lane told the Observer.
He said the only reason that the peace between the two communities has lasted is because ‘bad men’ on both sides hold the JDF soldiers in high regard, and don’t create mischief when they are around.
“Nuff people inna 100 a look revenge, and people inna Park a look stripe,” he said, referring to the January 3, 2002 massacre of seven on 100 Lane. Police believe the 100 Lane massacre was a reprisal for the December 31 murder of Glenroy Maize, 32, a resident of the adjoining community of Park Lane, since his killers were rumoured to have come from 100 Lane.
Head of the police St Andrew North Division, Superintendent Assan Thompson said, however, that the post will not be removed, but reorganised and downsized.
“The soldiers are not moving.but we are reorganising what we have on the ground there. Before, we would normally have a platoon-strength contingent consisting of 30 or 31 men, we would have the people doing patrols, and then a reserve,” the superintendent said.
At this point in time, he explained, since the police have instituted their community relations programme, much of the initial tension and enmity had been diffused, and now, the reserve contingent was considered to be a little heavy.
“All we are doing is just to pull a little of the reserves,” he added, “but the patrols will be there, security personnel will be inside there – both police and military – so the centre will be up and running.”
Not only will the police and soldiers continue to carry out their normal functions, said Thompson, but while the JDF group will be reduced in size, the police’s role at the post will, in a sense, be expanding in functions.
“Right now we are restructuring the place so that people from the communities will be able to make reports there and not come all the way to Constant Spring (police station). In addition, a radio car will be based at that location and will work out of the lane 24 hours a day. So part of the aim is better service delivery from the police.”
But even with that assurance, residents are still wary and apprehensive. They say that the number of soldiers, not police, is the main deterrent to the criminals.
“Dem bwoy deh nuh frighten for police,” said a woman from Park Lane, shaking her head in resignation.
“Is only soldier dem rate, an dem know not to ramp cause soldier nuh fraid fi fire shot when time come,” she added.
While conceding that the visible security presence did much to allay fears, Superintendent Thompson was adamant that the move was not just timely, but a necessary step.
“They might want to see that heavy number of military because that really reassures them, but I believe we are now better able to deliver the sort of service they need.”
“You must understand, we had a situation a year ago that would have necessitated a platoon strength, but since then the police have been working at building relationships, and we need to test whether or not it is working. Part of it is to see if we can remove some of the reserves and try to work with the operations team,” added Thompson.
But jammed between two communities with long-standing feuds and a history of reprisals and counter-reprisals, even the division head’s optimism is tainted with a dash of quiet realism.
If needs be, said Thompson, the police are prepared to request that the additional reserves be reinstated.
“Hopefully that will not be the case,” he said.
One young woman from the community said learning to forgive and to trust is now the big challenge, for the police, and for the residents of both Park and 100 Lanes. The steps are small, but significant, the woman said, adding that healing will take time.
“We just haffi take we chance, I suppose,” she added. She plans to be on Red Hills Road on Sunday for a domino tournament between residents of both lanes and the police – one of the slate of ongoing activities that is planned to help increase tolerance and build relationships.