COMMANDER of the Area Four police Assistant Commissioner Donovan Graham says police under his charge are challenged daily by residents, particularly those in inner-city communities, who continuously block roads, despite efforts to keep the thoroughfare clear.

On Wednesday, roughly two weeks after the Jamaica Observer published a story, ‘Franklyn Town residents lash cops for failing to clear roadblocks mounted by thugs’, Graham told the newspaper that cops have been persistent in clearing blocked roads, however, there is an insistence by residents to remount the blockades under the guise of protecting themselves from gunmen or intruders with deadly intentions.

According to Graham, not only are roadblocks unsightly, but violate the National Solid Waste Management Act, which he warned against.

“Whilst you are entitled to demonstrate lawfully, blocking the roads is a breach of the public order act. First, we try gentle persuasion to try and get them to clear the roads and then we call in the State agency responsible to engage them but sometimes persuasion takes a long time.

“We have gone in and cleared roads in many instances but in some instances they remount it. The main excuse is that they use it as part of their security to avoid drive-by shootings. Franklyn Town comes to mind. The Kingston east, divisional commander, Superintendent Tommilee Chambers, has cleared sections of that community over time and some have been remounted in the space.

“Whilst you can see the challenges in having members of the security forces on every corner in such divisions, some communities resort to that, claiming to be trying to prevent drive by shootings. We always try to engage citizens and we have done so in many instances and they have told us that it forms part of their own protection. We have engaged Members of Parliament and leaders of communities to see how best we can use another method that is more pleasing to the eye instead of old fridges and garbage,” Graham said.

Further, Superintendent Chambers, who heads the Kingston eastern division, recently told the Observer, that she had been waiting for the availability of front-end loaders from the JCF’s specialised operations unit to clear affected roads.

Up to Wednesday evening, there was still a roadblock near the intersection of Wellington Street and Sommerset Avenue and near the intersection of York Street and Cumberland Avenue in Franklyn Town. The Observer sought an update on Wednesday from Chambers regarding the situation, but the superintendent was tied down in a meeting and could not comment.

Meanwhile, Franklyn Town residents, who are against the practice because of the inconvenience it causes to the people who have emergencies, have appealed to the commissioner of police to intervene. They have also called for a national discussion to tackle the issue of roadblocks and accused the police of not doing enough for roughly eight months, to keep the roads clear.

The Observer was told that people who have tried to reach hospital at night-time have been affected, as well as the disabled, public transport operators and commuters. Their belief is that it is not so much to prevent drive-by shootings, but to obstruct the authorities, allowing them to be able to brandish guns freely.

Besides, one resident female resident, who requested anonymity, said she does not buy the story about the unavailability of front-end loaders.

“The argument about front-end loaders is foolishness. The army has front-end loaders. The police always work with the army so it shouldn’t be any problem to get assistance from them to come into the community with equipment and clean up the place. I think there should be an insistence for the place to be cleaned.

“It gives us impression that she and the gangsters are hugging up. There is something why she cannot touch them as the commanding officer. If it was uptown, they would clean it up long time. Because this is Franklyn Town, we must get up every day and see old junk with rats running out all over the place pon we. If the police are here to serve and protect, they are supposed to serve and protect the people dem. It shouldn’t be where people are saying that in order to secure their lives they have to block the roads. It shouldn’t be.”

Another vocal resident, said the community is beginning to feel more each day that cops are working in tandem with thugs and honouring their wishes.

“It looks like the police agree that the roadblocks prevent drive-by shootings. June 14 going to make it three weeks since the Observer story come out. The road was blocked from October 17 and all now it can’t pull. People still can’t use the roads and they have no confidence that the police will remove the roadblocks.

“We want the commissioner’s office to be alerted. I am calling for the intervention of the police commissioner. I think it would send a big message not only in Franklyn Town but to a number of communities across Jamaica where roads are blocked for months and nobody removes it.

The resident added: “We want to know what is the protocol re roadblocks and how it is investigated. We can’t just have road blocks in Jamaica and police and soldier drive past it day and night and dem just nonchalantly a drive as if road blocks are a part of the culture and it is alright. What if the road weh di police station deh pon now was blocked? How would they have dealt with that? There should be a national discussion as to how we deal with roadblocks in Jamaica.”