MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Against the backdrop of a double murder and shooting incident at a party earlier this month in Greenvale, leaders here are calling for more resources to tackle crime in this south-central parish.

Members of Parliament for Manchester North Western Mikael Phillips and chairman of the Manchester Peace Coalition Dr Clifton Reid said there have been social intervention initiatives over the years targeting young people in Greenvale.

Among the investments is a music studio and homework centre as well as a beautification project. However, Phillips believes the resources for the continuation of the social intervention is not enough.

“I have always said that when we do interventions in communities they tend to concentrate in the St Catherine, Kingston and St Andrew area. We have red flagged some communities in Manchester, but we have not been able to get the intervention [needed],” he said on Wednesday.

“What intervention we have done has come from local groups like the peace management that we have in Manchester, but they themselves need resources. I would like to see us move in a direction where we don’t wait until communities erupt, then we try to do the intervention,” he added.

Dr Reid said the peace coalition has “not been able to have a broad impact on Greenvale”.

“… Because that takes a lot of resources, both human and money, which we don’t have… We try to partner with other groups to see how best we can [help] the community,” he said.

Phillips is calling on the Government to invest more in social intervention.

“We know the communities that need the intervention and it needs to come from central Government itself; we have to relook at how it is that we approach crime. We have done a lot of work in the community of Greenvale,” he said.

The community remains under high police surveillance and a restriction has been placed on entertainment events following the August 5 killing of 34-year-old Adrian Nation, alias Blue, a chef of 14 Street in Greenvale, and a man identified as Lloyd Levy at a party in the community.

Head of the Manchester Police Superintendent Shane McCalla told the Jamaica Observer that the police were maintaining a strong presence in the community.

“We are continuing our initiative in the space and that again is a process that is going to take some time,” he said.

Phillips, meanwhile, is still hopeful peace and calm will return to the community.

“Yes, we have seen an uptick in shootings. We have held it down for years. We continue our social intervention through music, sports, community meetings, and the Church. The police themselves have given a lot of service in keeping Greenvale peaceful. I hope they get to the bottom of the shootings that have taken place,” he said.

“I don’t think all is lost. We are going to double our efforts so that we don’t see a repeat of what has happened so far this year,” he added.

Phillips and Dr Reid have been instrumental in pushing for the use of a music studio targeting young people in Greenvale.

“We are looking to establish a music programme. We have teachers lined up. We have instruments targeting the 15 -year-olds and under and particularly children who we want to [reach] through music to try and change their outlook on the worldview,” said Dr Reid.

“These music teachers who we have lined up and ready to start this music programme, [but] every time there is a murder people are going to be afraid to come; you worry about collateral damage and reprisals,” he added.

Dr Reid said there needs to be a change in the community, targeting the minds and hearts of people.

“… The vast majority in the community are good people; always it is a few bad eggs who get involved in reprisals and scamming that is giving the community a bad name,” he said.

Phillips, meanwhile, said migrant criminals are plaguing Manchester.

“What is happening now is that we are not enforcing the laws. We keep on hearing about people who are wanted. Central Jamaica itself has become a hub for those running from other areas and settling in. We have been seeing a whole infiltration of new faces within communities in and around north-west Manchester and the parish overall,” he said.

“We have seen the uptick in break-ins. We have seen the uptick in robberies. Bars are being held up on a regular basis, it is a very uncomfortable feeling and activities that you see happening,” he added. He said, too, that the police are “stretched”.

“… In north-west Manchester we have one police station [and] that is down in Mile Gully, but they only have one motor vehicle. We have seen an increase in robberies and praedial larceny in that area, but we can’t ask them [police] to do more [with] what resources they have,” he said.