By Glenroy Sinclair and Rasbert Turner, Gleaner ReportersTHE CHURCH has agreed to play a key role in restoring order to Spanish Town, St. Catherine, following a meeting yesterday between religious, civic and political leaders that looked at new measures to address the town's problems.
In addition, Member of Parliament (MP) Olivia 'Babsy' Grange told The Gleaner that she would be seeking meetings with criminal leaders to see how she could help broker a truce.
"I am prepared to go to whatever level, at the top or bottom, and talk to the 'bad men' because it has to stop. It's innocent people who suffer the most and are killed unless we are prepared to look the devil in the face and say 'Enough is enough'," said Ms. Grange, MP for Central St. Catherine.
"I am not going to run from it, I may even endanger myself in the process. However, I am the elected representative and I have to find a way to deal with this problem."
Ms. Grange said she would be stressing to the gunmen the crippling effect of their actions on the town's prospects.
Last night, the police extended the curfew placed on the town after marauding gunmen virtually crippled the Old Capital with indiscriminate shootings this week.
The curfew imposed in the Shelter Rock community of Spanish Town has been extended until 9:00 o'clock this morning.
It will be effective east along Jones Avenue to Demshire Pen, west along the Dempshire main road into Dempshire Pen, south along the Rio Cobre to Jones Avenue and north along the Greendale main road between Jones Avenue and Dempshire Pen.
POLICE AND MILITARY
A strong police and military detachment remains posted in and around the town, and at what the police described as "flashpoints."
Mayor of Spanish Town, Dr. Raymoth Notice, met yesterday with Bishop Herro Blair of the Peace Management Initiative (PMI); Donna Parchment of the Dispute Resolution Foundation; head of the Spanish Town Ministers' Fraternal, Rev. Terrence Brown; Roman Catholic priest, Monsignor Richard Albert; Chamber of Commerce president, Rudolph Green; and members of the business community.
The Chamber president stressed that the situation was hurting the town's commerce and made it unfavourable to investors, while a business operator spoke of the stress that he and his colleagues were under.
"I am scared to open my business and will not be able to pay my bills to the bad men," he told the meeting. "They seem to be a law unto themselves."
The meeting agreed to establish a new agency to be called the 'Spanish Town Development Foundation', which will focus on developmental plans, reshaping social order and creating opportunities for young people in the community.
A two-storey building has already been identified from which skills training will be offered to unemployed youths from both sides of the political fence.
NUMBER OF STRATEGIES
The group also reviewed a number of strategies used in sections of the Corporate Area as it relates to containing crime and violence.
Reports are that the church has proposed to stage a march across the affected communities and host a number of prayer vigils throughout Spanish Town.
Another town meeting will be held today between the PMI, the church and the political directorate.
In the meantime, the area was calm but remained tense yesterday, following Tuesday night's fiery outburst. Three persons were killed and four injured, pushing the number to 12 killed and more than 20 injured over the past two weeks.
