A new clean-up programme, aimed at restoring cleanliness across downtown Kingston’s major shopping district and keeping it that way through public participation, was launched last Thursday as the busy Christmas season approaches.

Downtown Kingston Redevelopment Initiative (DKIR) Chairman Michael McMorris explained that under the programme, titled ‘See it. Snap it. Fix it.’, residents, business operators, and visitors are being asked to directly report issues such as illegal dumping, damaged roads, and other infrastructural defects in real time by scanning a QR code mounted in the area, snapping a photo, submitting the geographical details, and sending it to the DKIR dashboard.

“We are creating a cleaner, better maintained, and more welcoming environment for businesses, workers, residents, and visitors. And we are using a defined section, because it is really the template for how we want to move forward. So, we’re starting in a space first, and then, hopefully, we’ll expand out — and we are proving that that expansion is actually workable,” McMorris said at the launch of the initiative at the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) main office downtown the capital city.

“That is our immediate goal — working together to clean up the place,” added McMorris as he pointed out that the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) and National Works Agency (NWA) will be brought on board.

“Maintaining downtown Kingston cannot be the responsibility of any one organisation. This is why ‘See it. Snap it. Fix it.’ matters. Businesses, residents, and other users of the district have an important role to play in identifying problems and helping to keep the area in good condition,” McMorris argued.

“Equally important is having a clear process for getting these problems to agencies that can actually resolve them. NSWMA and NWA are key to deepening this partnership. We can do it. This is a step to strengthen that coordination and encourage wider participation,” he added.

Regional operations manager at the NSWMA Tracy Fakhourie lauded the initiative and argued that the partnership will simplify the authority’s work.

“We cannot do it alone. We will not be able to achieve the objectives, we will not be able to help downtown Kingston to get to the beautiful state it ought to be and it deserves to be, so it is definitely, for me, a privilege to be included in such a partnership. We operate — for want of a better word — an open-door policy; you are always free to communicate with us. So having actually a platform where we can monitor, control, and act speedily on is an amazing opportunity,” said Fakhourie.

Jamaica Chamber of Commerce Second Vice-President Jonathan Swire said the timing of the launch was deliberate.

“More shoppers and more commuters mean more pressure on our streets, our bins, and our drains. They also mean more people who can help us to see what attention is needed. Business, commuters, shoppers, residents, students, and visitors all have a stake in what downtown [Kingston] becomes,” he said, adding, “Each report is a small act of ownership, but powerful.”

McMorris said the initiative builds on the DKIR’s Keep It Clean campaign which, he insisted, has reaped significant rewards since it was launched last year.

“Keep It Clean has been an important part of our effort to get businesses directly involved in maintaining the district. Through the campaign, businesses commit to keeping the areas immediately outside their premises and storefronts clean, contributing to the overall appearance and upkeep of downtown Kingston. Of approximately 110 businesses in our district register, 71 have signed up to Keep It Clean, representing a 65 per cent participation. Positive public rating of cleanliness has increased from 39 per cent to 58 per cent.

“The number of businesses reporting that surrounding conditions negatively affect their operations have fallen from 49 per cent to 23 per cent, [while] public confidence in safety has increased from 49 per cent to 73 per cent,” said McMorris.

Kingston Mayor Andrew Swaby urged the business community to utilise the programme, and encouraged people in downtown Kingston to report any problems they identify.

“Keeping Kingston clean means more than removing garbage. It also means maintaining drains and sidewalks, addressing road defects, ensuring street lights work, and protecting public health and safety.

“Technology, however, is a tool — not the solution by itself. This initiative’s success will depend on timely assessment, clear assignments of responsibilities, appropriate follow-up, and visible improvement on the ground. A reporting system is only as effective as the action that follows,” Swaby said, underscoring that reporting must go hand in hand with prevention.