MONTEGO BAY, St James-

Commercial activities along normally busy Barnett Street were brought to a standstill yesterday as irate residents of the nearby Railway Lane community protested the burning of three residences, a grocery and a upholstery shop.

The structures at 25 Railway Lane, which according to the residents were ignited by members of an Operation Kingfish party on Tuesday night,were completely gutted.

Over 30 residents including children, are now homeless and have been forced to seek refuge from friends and family members.

They say none of their belongings were saved from the blaze which spread swiftly throughout the premises, destroying all the items inside the grocery shop and finished and unfinished furniture inside the upholstery shop.

“We lose everything. nothing no save. All we little money we have inna Lada bag a save, burn up,” one resident lamented yesterday.

A road side we have to stand up whole night. We no have nowhere to live. When the police come and do this what we fe do? We want justice,” said another.

The residents also claimed that last week the same team of policemen conducted an operation in their community and set fire to the same building which they quickly put out.

“Police come last week and light the place. Resident put out the blaze. The police say me must leave around here if not he is going to take drugs from Kingston and plant it on me and lock me up and no Montego Bay police can’t talk to him because him no take orders from no police here because them a countryman,” a resident who gave his name as Sean, alleged.

But, Steve McGregor, Superintendent of Police in charge of St James refuted the residents’ claims.

According to McGregor on Tuesday at about 8:30 pm, a police team was in the Railway Lane community when they spotted a group

of men smoking cocaine

in pipes. According to McGregor, when the men saw the cops, they discarded the pipes and fled the area.

” Information is that the fire was started from one of those coke pipes. The residents are refuting that claim. They are saying that police started the fire and as a result this morning they blocked the roads and started a fire in the middle of the road. We are clearing the road putting out the fire and trying to bring some semblance and calm to the area,” Superintendent McGregor told the Observer West.

He further noted: “I have already reassured them that I have spoken to the commissioner and that no police officer or team will go in that area unless so directed by me”.

Yesterday the angry residents used motor vehicle tyres and whatever debris they could find to mount several roadblocks along Barnett Street and its environs before setting them alight.

One fireman was injured and a unit damaged after fuming demonstrators threw missiles into the windscreen of a fire unit which was on the scene.

Dr Horace Chang the member of parliament for the North West St James constituency, appealed to the police to carry out their jobs in a professional manner.

“While the presence of the police has brought a welcome relief to the serious felony and homicides in Montego Bay, they must remember that they should at all times conduct themselves in a professional manner. If this is not done the residents will become fearful of them and will be reluctant to supply them with information,” Dr Chang argued.

Meanwhile PNP constituency caretaker Henry McCurdy has promised assistance for the homeless fire victims.