THE EDITOR, Sir:IT IS my opinion that the chief purpose of a letter to the Editor is to vent (one's feelings), as little visible action ever comes from the complaints sprawled across the pages of the Gleaner. Well, vent I shall.
I have lived in Portmore for 20 years, and I have watched it mature from marshlands to municipality. Whilst the pride swells within my bosom, it does so only briefly. Portmore has drastically degenerated from a haven (yes, albeit mosquito-ridden) to a place where its citizens cower in fear. I read an article in the Star recently, that detailed crimes being committed in the Edgewater commune, and simply nodded my head in recognition. This is not unique to Edgewater, but a common thread that's being woven across all the communities. This, as degenerates, like locusts, move out of the criminalised wastelands of the older urban towns in Kingston & St. Andrew, and drift into the recently established townships in St. Catherine, St. James, et al.
Portmore, and such areas as itself, are a criminal's paradise. It is a densely populated environment that offers some anonymity, as tenant turnover is high, minimising stability in community relations. Seventy per cent of Portmore, specifically Greater Portmore, is a 'buy-and-rent' community; therefore this environment is largely fostered by the irresponsibility of most landlords to ensure that their tenants are worthy to be neighbours to anyone. Their rent is paid, and they don't care by what means their tenants earn that rent. They don't live here, so it is not their problem.
What has been and is happening to Portmore now is a process, one fuelled by many players. The money-grubbing landlords, who have ceased to care; a neutered police force, whose stations appear to be better suited as bingo palaces and garages; a silent church, whose members have become satiated with their detached existence, and untouched aloofness; a web-page-bearing private sector that offers mock attention, but does nothing; and, of course, the reticent citizens who have been silenced and over-powered by the criminals, with no respite.
Trust me, Mayor Lee, there are bigger crimes than a cake-soap selling shop, that you can prioritise to eradicate. There is much to be done, and soon.
I am, etc.,
S-K. AFFLICK
sk_afflick@yahoo.co.uk
Greater Portmore
St. Catherine
Via Go-Jamaica
