MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Councillors in Manchester are urging the police to review the continuous implementation of curfews in several communities as they claim that small business operators are losing revenue.

However, with all major categories of crime down in the parish, including no recorded murder so far this year, the police have defended the security measure.

Councillor Claudia Morant-Baker (Jamaica Labour Party, Porus Division) said she cried openly about the issue in a recent meeting with a senior cop.

“We are bawling down there, not crying, bawling, and I cry with the people of Porus, because I know first-hand that the crime has impacted Porus, yes. Porus has been shutdown from October of 2024. The curfews that are there are killing Porus in the sense that the highway took away the activities of Porus, because of the bypass, and now the curfew. But all I am saying to the police is, come and meet with the people. I will bawl if I have to for my people…” she said on Thursday at the monthly sitting of the Manchester Municipal Corporation.

“Crime has impacted Porus negatively and we all know that, but at the end of the day business persons must survive…Porus is already a rural community. The most they will benefit from is their business and their business now is dying,” she added.

Morant-Baker was among councillors on both sides of the political aisle who reiterated their concerns over the security measure.

Among the areas under curfew are communities in Porus, Christiana, Williamsfield, and Greater Mandeville.

Mandeville Mayor Donovan Mitchell questioned the rationale of continuing the curfews.

“My major problem is that the curfew is repeated every two days, so in truth and in fact, there is a prolonged period of curfew that is affecting [people]. The little shops on the corners are having real problems, because curfew is on every day. How do you send children to school?” he asked.

“You might very well be trying to solve one problem, but you are creating another problem, which is a worse problem and then the problem you are trying to solve now, we go right back to that problem,” he added.

However, Inspector Berthlyn Lloyd, sub-officer in charge of the Manchester Community Safety and Security Branch, responded with a defence of the measure, pointing to its effectiveness and appealing for cooperation to curtail crime in the parish.

“We know from the police perspective that we have a lot of migrant criminals in some of our areas…We have persons who are facilitating them, so we have to work in partnership, and in order for us to curtail some of these activities the curfew will have to help us,” she said.

“You will have to work with us. Yes, we know persons are being affected, but until we can get these persons and the crime under control in the space, we can’t afford to get back where we were with the murder situation last year, so we all have to understand and work together,” she added.

She also noted that up to February 8, the Manchester division recorded 11 serious crimes since the start of the year in comparison to 24 for the corresponding period last year, and that no murders have been recorded so far this year in comparison to five for the similar period in 2024.

Lloyd encouraged the councillors to speak with the commanding officer, Deputy Superintendent Carey Duncan, regarding their concerns about the curfews.

“We all have to work together. The doors are open and persons can come and speak with the superintendent that something can be done in some areas. So yes, the curfew is a strategy, so we have to work, and you have to work with us, and until we can get the situation under control the curfew will continue,” she said.