Howard Campbell, Gleaner writerFEW COMMUNITIES in rural Jamaica have experienced the level of crime as Flankers in St. James. Located in the heart of Montego Bay, it has been the scene of several bloody incidents in the past three years.
But according to members of the Peace Management Initiative (PMI), many of Flankers' 10,000 residents have taken a stand to take back their community from criminals.
"It's really become a model community because the residents are working with the police to cut down on crime," said Sergeant Egbert Parkins, the police representative on the PMI committee. "With the advent of the PMI, they were one of the first to realise that the job of fighting crime is not just for the police."
SENSE OF COMMUNITY
The PMI was established last year by the government to foster a sense of community in areas where crime is rampant. Although the group has been operating in St. James for some months now, the chapter in that parish will not be officially launched until April.
To date, PMI workers have
visited 18 of St. James' toughest areas and forged ties with residents. In Flankers, they helped set up the Peace and Justice Centre where residents act as mediators and mentors for wayward youth.
"Flankers is doing very well. Crime has fallen significantly. There was a time when not even taxis wanted to go there," said Hyacinth Ford, another PMI member.
CYBER CLUB
On February 15, Minister of Commerce and Technology, Philip Paulwell, opened a cyber club in Flankers which was funded by the Cable and Wire-less Foundation and Jamaica Digiport International. The club has 10 computers.
Along with Farm Heights, Glendevon, Norwood and Rose Heights, Flankers has played a major role in the St. James crime problem. Last year, there were a number of frightening homicides in Flankers, including two double murders on August 25.
Sergeant Parkins told The Sunday Gleaner that other trouble spots, such as Rose Heights and Farm Heights, have followed Flankers and set up citizens' associations that work with the police to control criminal activity.
