David Neil and Rev Peter Garth - Ricardo Makyn/Staff PhotographerA PASTOR at an inner-city church has come up with a radical method he believes could solve crime in inner-city communities. It would see church leaders approaching enforcers and asking them to use their influence to keep the peace in their respective areas.
Pastor David Neil of the Covenant Community Church (CCC) is suggesting that religious leaders seek out these area leaders and encourage them to put their destructive weapons to good use.
"While we can help control those under our roof, per se, we cannot control what's going on in the other neighbourhoods and the police can't be everywhere," he said. "We should try to get these persons who are known to have weapons to protect their communities without killing out each other. It's thought-provoking but I believe if we can say to these guys, 'Let your guns be protective to the community rather than be destructive' then I believe with the message of the Church we can make a difference."
Pastor Neil is familiar with the trauma of ghetto life, having worked at the CCC's Joy Town church in the troubled South St. Andrew constituency for over 15 years. He has also been to other CCC outposts in Spanish Town and Newlands in Portmore, and seen religion transform lives that were on the verge of going astray.
THINGS ARE HAPPENING
"The feedback that I have had is that there are things that are happening in terms of converting and stabilising the lives of men who probably would have taken up a life of crime," he said.
Pastor Neil's unconventional plan is not supported by other ministers of religion including Reverend Peter Garth, president of the Jamaica Assembly of Evangelicals.
He believes that would go against church principles and send a wrong message.
"We have to be careful about how we go into communities and talk to criminals.
It would be better to ask them to protect and not to kill but I'm not going to encourage people to use unlicensed weapons," said Rev. Garth.
He says he is in favour of the adopt-a-gang concept that has reportedly done well in the United States. "In our country it would be adopt-a-corner. We'd go in and talk to young people because it's at that stage where they are most vulnerable," Rev. Garth told The Sunday Gleaner. "We would try and make a change in their lives before things go wrong."
Religious leaders, most notably American Roman Catholic priest, Richard Albert, has had measured success working in tough communities throughout St. Catherine and St. Andrew where he has counselled hardened criminals.
At Wednesday's private sector peace rally at Emancipation Park, Monsignor Albert told The Sunday Gleaner that while the church had a major role to play in easing Jamaica's crime
problems, he stressed that the private sector's involvement is just as critical.
"Civil society has to enter the fight against poverty and poverty alleviation ... The poor people have to be the centre of our thrust," he said.
