PEOPLE’S National Party (PNP) caretaker for the Kingston Central constituency, Imani Duncan-Price, yesterday welcomed the zone of special operations (ZOSOs) declared in Parade Gardens, but expressed concern that the boundaries established exclude troubled spots, one of which is the seat of a gang at the heart of the conflict and several murders.

“What I am not clear about is the actual boundaries, the reports I have seen so far are focused on Parade Gardens. That’s just Tel Aviv and South Side, but even Jezariah Tyrell [10-year-old girl] who was murdered on December 30, she was killed in Spoilers, just across the road from East Queens Street, so why wouldn’t they include Spoilers and Midtown? One of the gangs being referred to, their headquarters is in the Spoilers, Midtown area, I don’t understand his logic,” Duncan-Price told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

She was speaking in the aftermath of an emergency press briefing in which Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the ZOSO in Parade Gardens, which falls within the Central Kingston Police Division.

Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson speaking during the briefing said the Central Kingston Police Division for the period January 1 to December 31 last year recorded 79 murders, an increase of 55 per cent when compared to the corresponding period of 2020; the second highest percentage increase among all police divisions averaging about three murders every two weeks. He said Parade Gardens recorded 16 of these murders and is ranked among the top ten communities with the highest murders across the country. According to the police commissioner, “a number of these killings have been perpetrated by and on persons who grew up together and have subsequently chosen a life of violence where they resolve conflicts by murder”.

But yesterday Duncan-Price, who has appealed for the measure on numerous occasions, said while she was grateful her call had been answered, the area of focus was too narrow for comfort.

“Between North Street and East Queens Street is Spoilers and Mid Town. I would have expected (that those areas would be included in the zone) because half of the nine murders that occurred in that last week of Christmas were in Spoilers. When I was calling for ZOSOs last year, I was calling for it based on how the gangs were operating in terms of across the communities which are all very close to each other,” she told the Observer.

Said Duncan-Price, “People often confuse the police division of Kingston Central with the political boundaries, it’s not the same. I understand why he would perhaps want to focus on one division because it is easier to monitor the ZOSO from one police division, but then Spoilers and Mid Town are also under Kingston Central’s remit, so I don’t know why. It doesn’t make sense to me actually.”

“It is a fact, the Christmas day murder occurred on Text Lane in Mid Town, just below North Street, the reprisal on Boxing Day happened a lane over, that is also in Mid Town, the day after that there were murders on Rum Lane in Spoilers so there were only two or three murders in the Parade Gardens Area, the majority were in the Spoilers area,” she said further.

“I am happy that something is happening, but it is not sufficient. Those boundaries only speak to two communities,” Duncan-Price stated, adding that it was hoped that advocacy could lead to the inclusion of the other trouble spots.

In the meantime, she expressed satisfaction with the decision to implement the ZOSO as against a state of emergency (SOE).

“I believe you have to rebuild these communities and that for me is the true distinction between the ZOSO and the SOE. You have to invest in these communities, both administrations, neither have invested properly in communities like Central Kingston which have become a breeding ground for gangsters, and you can’t have downtown being run by gangsters. So, I am happy that it is ZOSO and not SOE but at the same time I am concerned about the limited geographical area because of the nature and actual locations of the violent crimes,” Duncan-Price said.

The prime minister in addressing members of the media yesterday said the ZOSOs ‘are designed as a community building tool’.

“This is a long-term strategy, yes when we do intervene we see an immediate reduction in violence, but it is more than a displacement strategy, it is a strategy to harden the area against the return and re-institutionalisation of criminality in the community, so we are building peace in the community. We are building people who will become wardens of the peace, we are giving people the opportunity to be employed we are improving the environment and conditions of the community…and we believe that this nexus between security operation and community development will ensure that these communities will sustain the peace,” Holness declared.

The boundaries of the ZOSO, which is expected to last for 60 days, are as follows:

• North – beginning at the intersection of East Street and East Queens Street. The boundary extends in an easterly direction along East Queens Street and the intersection of North-South Camp Road.

• East– the boundary then extends southerly along North-South Camp Road at the intersection with Harbour Street.

• South – continuing from the intersection with Harbour Street the boundary extends westerly along Harbour Street to the intersection of East Queens Street.

• West – the boundary then extends in a northerly direction along East Street and terminates at the intersection with East Queen Street.