MANDEVILLE, Manchester — A senior cop has vowed that law enforcers will not allow criminals to hold neighbouring communities to Northern Caribbean University (NCU) hostage after news emerged that students who live off campus are worried about their safety following a flare-up of violence in the area.

Renox Seivwright, NCU’s director of campus safety and security, raised the concerns of the students during a community meeting at Albion Primary School last Thursday evening. He said the students are opting to leave the campus before it gets dark.

“NCU has one major concern: Albion is neighbour to NCU; NCU students are afraid of Albion although many NCU students live in Albion, it is to the extent that many students are afraid to work beyond five o’clock, because we have a work and study programme,” he said at a community meeting at Albion Primary School last Thursday evening.

“They are afraid to come out before sunrise. It not only affects the work and study programme, [it affects] their general academic programme, because even when the library is open… until 10:00 pm, they are not going to be there,” he added.

Over the past two weeks there have been heightened concerns among Manchester residents after five people were killed in the parish. Among the incidents were a double murder in Albion and the killing of a man on Green Street, Knockpatrick. Both killings were committed at bars in neighbouring communities to NCU where students reside.

Seivwright pointed out that the university can only accommodate a small percentage of its students on dormitories.

“We find that we cannot house more than about 10 per cent of the student population on campus. Essentially, 90 per cent of our students are living elsewhere in communities around,” he said while warning of the potential economic fallout for homeowners and business operators in surrounding communities.

“If you have properties to rent, then they are not going to use it. We have a programme where we try to assist students finding accommodation and they don’t want to go there. They want to go to other places, so if you help yourselves by ensuring the crime is down, then of course you will be helping us and everybody will be happy,” he said.

“The question really is: What is Albion going to do or the community going to do, because students live just about everywhere? What is Albion and the communities around going to do to give some assurance to NCU students that they can live freely, they can move about freely and they don’t have to be walking and watching behind them,” added Seivwright.

However, Inspector Simon McCormack, subofficer in charge of Mandeville Police Station, said the constabulary will not allow criminal activity to prevail.

“… People can’t educate themselves because of two persons who decide to hold the community hostage? Rubbish! You can’t hold the community hostage. People need to be educated and uplifted,” he said.

According to McCormack, a collaboration with political representatives to unite for peace is ongoing in the area.

“We are not here to spread doom and gloom. Mr Mayor [Donovan Mitchell], I know you are very supportive. Ms Rhoda Crawford [Manchester Central Member of Parliament], I have heard about a lot of work that you have done. Continue to spread that word, because we can get the community back. One way or another. We are on a crime reduction strategy for Manchester and we are not going to see the steady increase of murders in Manchester; it is not going to happen, because we are going to get the support of the community,” added McCormack.

The entrance to Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville, Manchester. (Photos: Kasey Williams)