MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Councillors here are questioning the rationale behind curfews imposed by the police, arguing that the measure is stifling economic activities in this south-central parish.

On Wednesday, head of the Manchester Police Division Deputy Superintendent Carey Duncan told journalists that the curfew started earlier in the week in Clarke’s Town, Redberry, Trinity, May Day, New Hall and surrounding areas.

“These curfews are important in order to clampdown on some activities that we have been having. I just want to ask the general public to be understanding where we are concerned. Just to know that whatever we are embarking on now is to be make your community safer and better,” he added.

However, Mayor of Mandeville Donovan Mitchell on Thursday questioned the police’s decision to have all mall businesses closed during the hours of the curfew.

“I am deeply concerned about some things; if we have a shooting in the town where seven people were shot in broad daylight why are we having curfews are night,” he said during Thursday’s sitting of the Manchester Municipal Corporation’s monthly meeting.

DSP Duncan was absent from the meeting.A week ago gunmen attacked people at the side entrance of the Mandeville Market, leaving two people dead and five others wounded.Mitchell in an apparent comparison to that incident questioned the police’s reported clear up of murders and the logics of a curfew.

“People are killing people in broad daylight; if we have an 80 per cent clear up rate why are we still having all of these curfews? People are asking me the questions and I don’t know what to tell them, because right now we are going up into the Yuletide Season people want to sell some more,” he said.

“They have been affected by [Hurricane] Beryl. They have been affected by the rains and none of these persons are allowed to have their business.

I was shocked on Monday night I went to a restaurant on Ward Avenue only to know that the restaurant was closed early, because they were ordered to be closed,” he added, while suggesting a double standard approach.

“But KFC wasn’t closed and Burger King wasn’t closed and Island Grill wasn’t closed and these are the things that causes people to be irritated because you have closed the smaller restaurants, but yet the bigger ones are open. There is something wrong with the system, he said of the 6:00 pm to 6:00 am curfew.

Mitchell said he is worried about the economic loss for citizens.“I am looking out for the economic situation that some of these families are undergoing, it is stressing and frustrating. Even if we don’t have any drink out and whatever it is.

The matter of curfews, because if shooting [happens] in broad daylight, it doesn’t matter they will shoot you at night too even if curfew is going on,” he said. “I have seen it elsewhere. I have seen people shoot people next to police standing somewhere else, so we need to have some dialogue. There must be someway that the livelihood, the economic situation of this parish can be eased, so that people can have a little bit better,” he added. He said constituents have been asking councillors for assistance amid their economic hardship.

“Children have to go school. School fees have to be paid and I am sure most of us would have spent off all of that little money we got to assist with back-to-school… Next month or this month CSEC and CAPE fees need to be paid and people are calling already,” he said.

Councillor Karl Smith (People’s National Party, Knockpatrick Division) joined the mayor’s call for a review of the curfew order. “The majority of the murders in Manchester are in the Knockpatrick Division. We had a town hall meeting involving the police and it was said it that meeting that 80 per cent of the murders were solved, but yet still the threat level is still high and we are having curfews. We are having ban on parties, no permits are being given for parties,” said Smith.

“In the Knockpatrick Division [about] 70 per cent of them make their livelihood from round robins and drink out, it is like a partner that they throw on a weekly basis. These [events] are the main source of income for some of these [people],” he added.Smith said he, too, has been called on to explain the police’s decision.

“When you put a freeze on the permits they are calling me and are asking me what is happening. We need some answers from the police. Why is it that certain parties are allowed to keep, but the little man who depends on his round robin or his drink out not getting a permit,” he said.

“The residents even go as far as asking to have police at these events. They will pay and to date they haven’t gotten any answers, it is disheartening. People are frustrated,” he added.

Omar Miller, minority leader and Jamaica Labour Party councillor for the Craighead Division, told Mitchell that lottery scammers were among the top supporters of parties in Manchester.

“You have many persons who invested heavily planning their parties. This is a concern that I have as well, but we have to be careful because police business is not an easy business,” he said.

“Let us seek dialogue outside of the media and see how we can have some of these issues sorted out. Some of the same parties you see the same scammers and everybody who a mash up this country come in to support.

They are talking about money business. We know if you visit and pass you can see some of their activities, washing all them boot with Hennessey and all of those things,” he added.

Mayor Mitchell chimed in and compared Miller’s statement to an ongoing debate about unexplained wealth. “Nothing is not wrong with that because there is nothing wrong with unexplained wealth. Sit down,” Mitchell said, evoking laughter among councillors.