GRACE, Kennedy says projects implemented by the company in Central Kingston have resulted in a lowering of crimes in that section of the city.

Francis Kennedy, the company’s chief project officer, said the projects, which included the establishment of home work centres with counselling facilities, physical redevelopment projects and employment generation, have contributed to a drop in the number of murders from 83 for July 2002 – June 2003 to two in July 2003 – June 2004.

“For the period July 2003 to June 2004, other major crimes have declined by over 50 per cent,” Kennedy told yesterday’s Job Creation Awards ceremony of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston.

“Central Kingston has, since December 2001, gone from the second highest crime district to the second lowest in the second quarter of 2004, beaten only by western Kingston,” Kennedy said.

He noted, however, that the programmes were done in conjunction with the police, government agencies and other private sector partners.

He said the focus of Grace, Kennedy’s community outreach programmes was on “empowerment of the residents rather than charity”.

Kennedy said Grace, during the last quarter of 2001, undertook a review of its outreach programmes after police reports showed that crimes were rampant in central and downtown Kingston.

He said the police area of central Kingston, at the time, had the second highest crime rate in the country. Vending, he said, was out of control and rape, theft, beatings, domestic disputes, intimidation and extortion were prevalent.

The decision, he said, was therefore taken to undertake more programmes and initiatives “with the help of a wider range of stakeholders, with the goals being to restore law and public order within 30 months; empowerment of the citizens; and reducing the central Kingston unemployment rate of 70 per cent to 35 per cent within five years”.

Among the initiatives mentioned by Kennedy were:

. Harbourfest – a twice-yearly festival in collaboration with the Urban Development Corporation, Big City Brewing, BNS, ICD, the media, UGI, the Bank of Jamaica Port Authority and other companies, which have been very successful with the number of stalls increasing from 25 in 2002 to 80 booked for 2004.

. Working in partnership with the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, the police and vendors’ associations to bring greater control to vending in downtown Kingston.

. The establishment of the Central Kingston Task team which helps to supervise the homework centres and bring the area leaders of Parade Gardens to meet every fortnight to discuss community issues and promote community activities such as dances, marches and sporting activities in conjunction with the parliamentarians, KSAC councillors and government agencies.

. Physical redevelopment of downtown Kingston, in conjunction with the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce.