THE CAPITAL of St. Catherine, historic Spanish Town, has become one of the country's notorious killing fields. On several occasions last year, the teeming and increasingly decrepit town was shut down as members of the security forces and residents clashed over questionable police shootings and killings. There was also the infamous incident when the Commanding Officer for Spanish Town and its environs, Superintendent Clifford Blake, was knocked unconscious by a rock as he went to Homestead, a flashpoint in the town, to quell a deadly dispute over control for turf.
The war for control of the underworld criminal enterprise in Spanish Town continues. The slaughter of four people last Saturday night in Jones Heights, popularly called Shelta Rock, while a birthday party was in session, is the latest episode in the collapse of social order in the town. Saturday night's slaughter came within 24 hours of Friday afternoon's indiscriminate drive-by shooting at vendors and shoppers at the fishing village in front of the Police Academy in Twickenham Park.
Both incidents are linked to the long-running turf war between and among members of the heavily armed and resourced JLP-aligned One Order gang and the PNP-aligned Clansman gang. But more importantly, the two incidents are barefaced challenges to the rule of law. The perpetrators are confident in the knowledge that they can, virtually at will, strike at any time and at any place, without worrying about the hand of the law.
The police officers in charge at Spanish Town, including Supt. Blake, say they know who the gang leaders are and their modus operandi. So, why have they been unable to penetrate the gangs, harness the intelligence and prosecute the murderers and criminals?
And what of the political representatives of the town Babsy Grange of the JLP and Sharon Hay-Webster of the PNP? The less said of them the better. They have retreated behind the jacket of the Chairman of the Peace Management Initiative (PMI) Bishop Herro Blair. Poor Bishop Blair! He is being reduced to an inglorious firefighter.
What is required? The police must improve their intelligence to prosecute and stop the insidious march of the One Order movement and the Clansmen. Surely, it is not beyond them and if it is, then they must ask for help. And be given that help!
Secondly, civil society and the political leadership of the entire parish must rally the overwhelming majority of decent and law-abiding residents of St. Catherine to stem the tide and beat back the criminals. But what of the three senior Cabinet Ministers who are Members of Parliament in the parish? They are Transport Minister Robert Pickersgill, Foreign Minister K.D. Knight and Development Minister, Dr. Paul Robertson.
The leadership of the business and religious communities must also step up and provide some courageous leadership. The Mayor of Spanish Town, Dr. Raymoth Notice, has signalled his willingness to lead. He and his Council need support. Come on, St. Catherine, it's time to act.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
