Decades ago much, if not most of Red Hills Road in uptown Kingston accommodated all-night parties. Such was the nightlife in clubs, bars, restaurants, and patrons often reached home at dawn. That was especially the case on weekends.

It wasn’t just the formal places of entertainment that benefited from such vibrancy at nights. Sidewalks and open spaces in plazas and elsewhere were abuzz with vendors of spicy fare, some struggling to meet demand from hungry customers.

Sadly, by the 1980s and 90s, crime — largely involving warring gangs — completely changed that happy picture. Back then, and until recently, gangsters from 100 Lane and Park Lane off Red Hills Road have been among the main players undermining peace and security.

It’s no secret that hard policing by itself won’t sustainably restore stability in crime-hit, socio-economically depressed communities such as some of those off Red Hills Road.

This newspaper has long held that to permanently bring criminals to heel there must also be focused, dedicated, social interventions by State agencies and allied non-governmental organisations. It’s the reason we have consistently applauded the private sector-driven Project Star, which is working to uplift lives in socio-economically depressed sections of rural and urban centres.

That recognition of the need for social intervention in partnership with traditional crime-fighting has also spiked our interest in the direction being taken by head of the St Andrew North Police Division, Superintendent Randy Sweeney.

Our reporter tells us that, as part of a drive to reduce tensions and bring sustainable peace and “harmony” to 100 Lane and Park Lane, Mr Sweeney is eyeing sports and other initiatives, including counselling sessions and provision of employment opportunities.

We hail his vision in recognising that while there have been anti-crime activities, including a recent curfew, efforts “might not be sustainable if we don’t have other interventions”.

In terms of sport, Mr Sweeney and his team are focused on restoring a playing field — long abandoned because of ’war’ involving 100 Lane and Park Lane gangsters — where children and young people once played, relaxed, and entertained themselves.

The plan is for football, including a structured competition, and other community events at the upgraded venue. We expect that “stakeholders”, including the local business community and relevant public and private bodies, will join what Mr Sweeney describes as an effort to build “trust and (a) lasting relationship” between community and police.

Mr Sweeney’s project feels like yet another admirable example of police reaching out at the local level to touch base with residents. We believe that such efforts have contributed considerably to what we sense has been a discernible easing of tensions between police and ordinary Jamaicans in more recent years.

However, there needs to be a much more comprehensive, focused drive by the State with support of non-government stakeholders to proactively assist communities confront challenges such as crime, ignorance, poor parenting, unemployment, poverty, and inadequate or non-existent recreational facilities. Ultimately, those social ills are all intricately linked.

In that respect, not just our elected politicians but the State-run Social Development Commission, which has a clear mandate to organise and uplift communities, should be at the forefront.

What are we waiting for?