BUNKER’S HILL, Trelawny

Commanding officer for Trelawny Superintendent Wilford Campbell is expected to meet with residents of Bunker’s Hill at the Unity Sports Complex today, in the wake of calls by area residents for the police to lift the three-year ban prohibiting the staging of social events in the community at nights.

The restriction, the residents argued, is stifling the growth and development of the rural community.

“The non-issuance of permits for us to stage fund-raising events at nights is having a bad impact on the community,” area leader Dale Walker told the Jamaica Observer West recently. “Without fund-raising events we won’t be able to raise money to undertake a number of projects that we want to do in the area, so I am appealing to the police to lift the ban.”

But in a recent interview with the Observer West Campbell emphasised that his office will not lift the ban placed on the playing of music at public gatherings in Bunker’s Hill, until he is satisfied that the police are getting the full co-operation of the citizens in the community in the fight against crime.

“Until the citizens can assure me that they are co-operating with the police, certainly we have to take a hard stance, and so we are not going to grant any permits… and this is for security reasons,” Campbell said then.

He however indicated that he was not averse to meeting with the disgruntled residents.

Yesterday, Walker told the Observer West that the residents are hoping that the ban on the playing of the music at event at nights would be lifted.

“We are really hoping that the superintendent will lift the ban because we need to stage fund-raising events in an effort to raise money to undertake several projects that are needed in the community,” he reiterated.

-Mark Cummings