By Glenda Anderson, Staff Reporter 
Grange (left) and Hay-Webster (right).
THERE ARE many tales and many sides to the same story, but all players agree that St. Catherine's inner-city areas nurture a delicate peace and an unpredictable relationship with the police.
"There is some uneasiness," said Olivia Grange, Jamaica Labour Party Member of Parliament for Central St. Catherine, the constituency in which the capital Spanish Town, lies.
"There are times when we feel that things are settling down and things are getting back to normal and then something happens and it's all gone again. The police seem not to understand this and that they need to exercise a little bit more sensitivity to the situation," she said.
Her view was shared by Sharon Hay-Webster, People's National Party representative for neighbouring South Central St. Catherine, who said the relationship as it now stands, "needs work".
Just over a week ago on August 8, the commercial district of the town was shut down by violent demonstrations after the police shot and killed 30-year-old vendor, Bernard 'Emanuel' Smith.
INADVERTENTLY SHOT
The police said he was inadvertently shot in a tussle after he resisted arrest in connection with a charge of unlawful wounding. The protesters accused the police of "manhandling" Smith and then firing indiscriminately. The violent protests in the area a teeming network of narrow streets crammed with street vendors, route taxis and small shops was the third in as many weeks.
Both political representatives and citizens blame the police for poor handling of difficult situations.
"A lot of it is attitude, but we have been spending time with them (the police), trying to get them to change their approach."
One resident, 40-year-old Michael Wright, calls it a system of 'brutal justice' which has frustrated the youth over time.
"Spanish Town is a very violent place, and the youth are very intolerant, and it's just pure brutality the police dealing with," he said. "There's no plan in place, no investigation at all is done in Spanish Town; the police have no good relationship with the community. Dem just come and check a man who them know go prison often and beat something outa him, or beat him fi give up another man.
"We wouldn't condemn the whole Police Force, but some of them are what you would call 'police dawg'; they're not human beings, they are 'dawgs' wid how them treat people, so the youth hate them. Even the little children them playing 'shoot police', that's the game they playing."
When The Sunday Gleaner visited the commercial area last Wednesday, tempers were still hot with several of a group of young men accusing the police of targeting them in a vicious series of 'attacks'.
"'You...when las' you go a prison?', a dat them ask mi y'nuh, seh mi a criminal," one young man complained bitterly after being stopped and searched twice in one morning by a patrol party in the area.
"We a good youth, you see wi sit down here so, everybody have them trade (skills) but we just can't get no work," he said. "Them see you 'round the area them just jook yuh down... fi nothing. Them don't know who a do the things so them just blame everybody. Them seh we a rob business people but a police collect the money and when you as a likkle youth find out then they try to kill you."
A senior officer at the Spanish Town Police Station confirmed that there had indeed been rumours which were now being investigated.
Businessman and President of the St. Catherine Chamber of Commerce, Rudolph Green, said however that, "Invariably we would not know, but we are not aware of any thing like that
happening."
He said, "I've always suggested that whenever these things surface they be carefully investigated if only to establish whether or not there is a basis."
Mr. Wright also blamed the political representatives for their relative inactivity.
"The M.P. and councillors for both sides need to play a greater role. Neither one is functioning. The area needs to be developed, the youth need something on which to exercise their creativity," he said.
SHOOTING INCIDENT
At the corner of Old Market and French streets, where a shooting incident involving the police and a young man occurred recently, two men accused the police of direct victimisation.
"It's a political thing y'hear and the police dem mix-up. We don't trust them. All the while is just one set a people them target."
They say the relationship has deteriorated over several years.
"Yuh 'fraid fi go report anything 'cause nothing happen. Once you find a honest policeman who try fi do him work, them transfer him, take him off a de front page put him inna office or the cell block," one resident said.
Leon Smith, brother of Bernard 'Emmanuel' Smith , who had been shot and injured by the police two Fridays ago claimed that he too had been routinely targeted by the police.
"We always get harassed by the same set all the time. If they know you as one thing and you try fi change and do somthing fi help youself they still have you off as that one thing so even if new police come to the station, they point you out and so they take set pon you.
"Me bredda no charge, him not wanted and they just come for him to kill him an' if they say we are wanted, how can we be wanted and sell right in the middle of the town."
One police officer from the Spanish Town Police Station, declined to be identified but acknowledged that there had been accusations of 'dirty cop' activities.
"We have a division between PNP/JLP areas, so whenever it comes to certain persons and how you deal with them that's always the conclusion they come to, that you are on one side or the other. When you try to make any arrests that's their thinking. They want you to leave them alone to do their thing.
"And Spanish Town is a funny place, it doesn't take anything for things to build up. We always have a good relationship with the residents but when anything happens it's gone again."
Still, others point to direct political manoeuvrings where flames of discontent are often fanned by persons with party leanings.
"They are always on edge, and when you have representatives who are going to go out in public and say certain things, how much they holding back, and they are the one 'keeping the peace', what do you expect to happen?" asked one shop attendant on Young Street.
"Speaking against the background of a statement made by one prominent politician it is highly likely that this is a position perpetuated by the politicians," charged Merrick Watson, deputy superintendent at the Spanish Town Police Station.
"But if that is the case then it is extremely unfortunate," he said.
"The police in Spanish Town don't play politics. We pursue 'bad men' relentlessly wherever they may be."
One political representative, however, has distanced herself from this activity.
"We are not concerned with that. We don't have any zoo or any wild animals over here. We're not holding any tiger by the tail. What we are concerned with is getting things done to help the communities, things like opportunities for the youth, addressing real housing problems, resurfacing the roads," Mrs Hay-Webster said.
"We've been trying to bring some order ...and we are working with the PMI (Peace Management Initiative) so that understandings are created," she said.
ROGUE ELEMENTS
A food vendor in the area said that in many instances the police were simply resented by criminals and their friends because they apprehended rogue elements in the community.
"They know who they coming for you hear, and if you not involve with anything you don't have no problem with them. But for some people even if they don't know what going on as long as is one of them friends then they get involved."
Community Relations Officer for the area, Inspector Myrna Rose, admits that the policing is precarious.
"It's very tricky, and difficult, " she said, "and depending on who you talk to you'll hear different things about what the relationship is like."
She said the unit was now working on several projects to change the situation.
A pilot project for community policing in areas of Eltham and Willodene is now in the works with daily police 'walk through'. A meeting is also scheduled for tomorrow with members of the Peace Management Initiative, the Police and Member of Parliament for the South Central division.
