MANCHESTER, Jamaica — Business and political leaders in this central Jamaica parish have welcomed the decision by the police to lift a number of curfews which have been in place for months in an effort to clamp down on crime.

But the police have warned that the curfews, which will be lifted this weekend, could be reimposed if the areas do not remain crime-free.

Inspector Berthlyn Lloyd, sub-officer in charge of the Manchester Community Safety and Security Branch, made the announcement of the curfew being discontinued at Thursday’s sitting of the Manchester Municipal Corporation.

“Having spoken to my commander [Deputy Superintendent of Police Carey Duncan] and he has assured me that with what is happening, and if we continue to have Manchester safe and with crimes trending down, this weekend all curfews will be lifted in the Manchester space,” Lloyd said in response to a question posed by Councillor Omar Miller (Jamaica Labour Party, Craighead Division).

Lloyd told the councillors that Manchester is seeing a 49 per cent reduction in major crimes, with 39 incidents reported up to April 5 compared to 76 for the corresponding period last year.

“This is a decrease of 37. We have four reported murders for this year in comparison to 11 for the corresponding period last year. We have seven recorded shootings in comparison to 11 for last year — it shows a decrease of four,” she said.

There was only one reported incident of rape so far this year compared to four for the corresponding period.

“We only have one area where we have seen an increase, and this is in the area of aggravated assault where we have seen six reported for this period in comparison to five for last year. It shows an increase of one of 20 per cent. We have four reports of robberies compared to six last year, and for break-ins we have 16 reported in comparison to 27 last year — and this shows an increase of 11 or 41 per cent,” she said.

Lloyd said there was only one reported case of larceny compared to 12 for the corresponding period.

Miller, the minority leader in the council, told the
Jamaica Observer on Friday that the lifting of the curfew is long overdue.

“Persons have been anticipating it for quite some time now, because it has affected the livelihood of many persons along with the ability to move about freely in relative peace and so we welcome it,” said Miller.

Craighead and other areas between Christiana and the Manchester/Trelawny border have been under curfew since the last week of January. Several other communities, including May Day, Royal Flat, Comfort and Green Street, on the outskirts of Mandeville were under curfew.

Miller, like the police, warned residents that the curfews could be reimposed if there is a spike in crime.

“I want to take the opportunity to say as long as things remain in a state where the police are comfortable in terms of how crime is being controlled in the spaces I believe that going forward, it can only increase and improve the livelihood of persons within the same space while giving the police the opportunity to serve and protect in the right and proper way,” said Miller.

In recent months Miller has lobbied for the police to review the imposition of curfews as he pointed to the many affected activities.

“You have the regular church service, you have people who work late, you have persons who operate their bars and other activities as well. Anything that has to do with night life was affected and therefore it had a negative effect on persons who operate these kinds of business,” argued Miller.

President of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce Omar Fennell also welcomed the lifting of the curfew.

“It is especially welcoming to all of those persons who were dissatisfied with it. We got a lot of reactions from people. I mean Porus was under a strict and tight lockdown and all of those businesses, some were already affected by the highway, were now affected by the curfew that compounded their issues,” said Fennell.

“Christiana had murders in the town and they were weary of what was happening around them, but I am pretty sure that even without speaking to some of them they are welcoming the fact that the crime has reduced so significantly, and now the curfews have been lifted,” added Fennell.