DESPITE scepticism amongst residents of Jacques Road in the Mountain View area that the Baron Road police post there has done more to prolong the violence now affecting their community than it has prevented, the police have indicated that they will not pull up stakes.

“We feel that if there wasn’t that permanent presence there, then persons would be going at each other. History has shown us that, that is where some of the most brutal battles between Goodwich Lane and Jacques road is fought, right down in the gully there, right along. So what is the purpose? We keep that because as bad as it is, it could have been worst if the security forces were not there,” head of the Kingston Eastern Police Division Superintendent Victor Hamilton has said.

He was responding to concerns raised by one resident about the location during a “peaceful protest” against the ongoing violence, organised by Jamaica Labour Party caretaker for the Vineyard Town Division Stephen McCubbin, at the Jacques Road Community Centre on Sunday afternoon. According to the police, about 10 people have been killed during different shooting incidents since October last year due to a dispute between individuals from Jacques Road and Goodwich Lane, reportedly sparked over missing plyboard from a construction site in the area.

This response, however, did not resonate with the fuming woman, who, egged on by other community members, shot back, “I am not a gun person, I don’t have a gunman, I born and grow right here but to me, if that post wasn’t there, so many people wouldn’t die”.

“True,” several women shouted in concert while some clapped at the assertion.

“Reason being this war not going on in Jacques Road, Goodwich Lane or Backbush, this war going on outside… Goodwich and Backbush finding the people them from Jacques Road on the road and killing them off,” she continued, noting that “deaths” which has been stalking the community resulted from the return of a particular enforcer to the area.

To shouts of, “Yes, a true,” she said, “Innocent people dying, an trust mi, mi nuh fire gun, nobody fi mi nuh fire gun and mi nuh waan nobody fire afta mi or mi an my pickny dem an mi nuh want it wait til ooman and pickny start dead.”

She further charged that the police had been uncouth in their dealings with members of the area.

“Mi si police inna di community a patrol and while the police them inna di community a patrol man a drive dung my cousin pon mountain view a fire afta him, while di police dem inna dis big ooman house a dig up har house,” she said pointing to a woman seated some metres away from her.

“When di police dem a come out a di community yuh know what is their approach? When dem come out pon Mountain View there is a car there waiting to go out and two of the police jump out long time ‘(expletive) bwoy come outta di way before mi shoot yuh’. What was all that for and you say you are there to protect the community,” she questioned.

Hamilton, however, was unmoved. Speaking after the furore died down, he said, “We still believe that it is a good place for the security forces to be, we are totally convinced and that is why we remain there. We have other patrols in and around the area; we don’t believe that any one side is responsible for the murders that are occurring along the Mountain View.”

“By our count, what we have seen is that five persons aligned to Jacques Road have died and five persons aligned to Goodwich and Backbush, moreso of Goodwich, have died. We will continue to police without favour or affection, we will continue to police in the best interest of every citizen in Mountain View,” Hamilton told the group.

In the meantime, he said enforcers were well aware of the ideals of the police.

“When I came into this division I spoke to Mr Everton Douglas [known as Fuba], I told him about my concerns about donship. I spoke to Mr Ryan Thompson, I told him about my wishes for them to help the community, to pull persons up. I have invited them to send persons to my office who are interested in joining the HOPE Programme and others.

“I spoke to Mikey One, Two [alias for Michael Ewan] and I had the same message. I have no preference; I spoke to three persons and I had to meet with them on several occasions for the housing project to start. All I want is peace, and the growth and development of the community, which will make law enforcement easier,” Hamilton told the group.