BLACKNESS, Westmoreland — Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness says last week’s flare-up of violence in Spanish Town may just be the chance to free the area from gangs that have held it in a vice grip for decades.

“I take this opportunity to appeal to the law-abiding citizens of Spanish Town not to support the gangs, not to be enlisted in their activities. This is, finally, an opportunity for the liberation of Spanish Town and, indeed, other communities,” he said while delivering a house to a needy Jamaican under the New Social Housing Programme in Westmoreland on Friday.

Holness was referring to a fiery protest by residents of Tawes Meadows, and other communities in Spanish Town, who have accused the police of killing the infamous One Order Gang leader Othniel “Thickman” Lobban.

“There is a sense, and we have seen it displayed publicly, that somehow the gangs are protectors of the community or are your friends. The gangs are not your protectors. They are not your friends. They are using you,” the prime minister warned.

He stressed that the Government’s plan is not to target communities nor harm them in pursuit of the gangs.

Holness said based on a briefing Jamaica Constabulary Force provided to the National Security Council regarding the situation in Spanish Town, the council is satisfied that the police handled the incident appropriately.

“We are satisfied that the police have made the necessary allocation of manpower and other resources to bring the situation in Spanish Town under control and to return calm to the town,” he said.

He made it clear, however, that intelligence indicates that the gangs continue to pose a clear and present danger — a real threat to public order, citizen security, public services, and commerce in Spanish Town.

“For decades the gangs have captured Spanish Town — almost all elements of life in Spanish Town. The Government of Jamaica is paying close attention to this situation, not just from a security perspective but from a developmental perspective,” stated Holness.

He added that the Government is investing several billion dollars into critical infrastructure in Spanish Town. He cited the more than $2-billion investment in a new wing at Spanish Town Hospital, and another $2 billion for construction of a new police divisional headquarters in the area. He also spoke about planned roadwork and improvements to water supply.

“We will not allow our development plans to be derailed or hijacked by gangs,” warned Holness.

He also noted that Spanish Town has incredible opportunities and a rich history.

“It has great commerce and great potential for development, but it is all being suppressed by gangs and crime. Let us use this as an opportunity to, once and for all, rid the community of the gangs,” the prime minister urged.

He said the police have been instructed that in their activities to target the gangs, innocent, law-abiding citizens must be protected.

“We have seen that there has been a significant improvement in police-community relations. We don’t want to damage that — we want to enhance that and improve that. The Government’s strategy is to go after the gangs, and we will use all lawful tools in our tool kit. We will bring down the murder rate, and we will keep the people of Jamaica safe,” the prime minister promised.

“The truth is that we have allowed, as a country, gangs to control for far too long, and now it is time that we take charge of spaces like Spanish Town and take them back from the gangs,” added Holness.

Noting that gangs account for more than 70 per cent of homicides in Jamaica Holness said, “We have been able to reduce murders in Jamaica by targeting the gangs, eroding and depleting their capabilities. Last year we were able to say we reduced murders by 20 per cent. We will continue to target the gangs, and we ask for the support of the citizens in these communities where the gangs have infested and captured the life of the community.

“If you help the police, if you cooperate with the Government strategy in helping us to clear the space of this threat, more investments will find its way to your community — not just from the Government, but from the private sector,” Holness promised.