THE EDITOR, Sir:
AT THE recent crime forum hosted by the Private Sector Organi-sation of Jamaica in Kingston, a question was posed to Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas on the subject of zero tolerance and paying attention to the small stuff. The parallels were drawn with what then Mayor Rudy Giuliani did in mitigating the crime situation in New York City. I would like to expand on this theme as it affects night noise, taxi parking and street vending.
I live in the Kingston 6 area and there is a constant nuisance most nights of the week, most notably on Sunday nights, from a sound system, ensuring that no one in its vicinity (the decibel level covers a very large area) is unaware of its existence. I was recently overnighting in Mount Salem, Montego Bay, on a Saturday night with family. The residential neighbourhoods of Crichton's Drive, Austin Avenue and surrounding areas were made to feel the full force of the sounds coming from a 'set' in very close proximity until 4 o'clock Sunday morning, notwithstanding numerous calls to the police by residents. In the house I was staying, no one was able to sleep.
Commissioner, let's uphold the law. It's only reasonable that the vast majority of us who crave a night's rest or the need to listen to our own entertainment are so allowed.
On the operations and parking habits of taxis, Montego Bay again is an example of a system that is in ruins. Why are the taxi operators allowed to hold this city ransom due to illegal parking in the town centre? The very costly South Gully project in that city, I recall, produced quite a few spacious taxi stands that are now empty. Is it too much for the city to ensure the law is upheld and allow free movement to all and sundry? Mayor Donaldson? Commissioner Thomas?
REBUFFED BY THE POLICE
This, by the way, is by no means restricted to Montego Bay. An acquaintance of mine, seeing the confusion in St. Ann's Bay brought about by this practice immediately in front of the police station in that capital, was roundly rebuffed by the very police to whom he complained.
On the subject of street vending, the authorities have erected some bold red and white no-vending signs on Knutsford Boulevard in Kingston, just across the way from the police station. Similar signs are erected at the northeast entrance of Emancipation Park just down the road from there. Various vendors have now found it convenient to set up their stalls immediately under these signs in the evenings. Again, let's uphold the law; it cannot be that difficult!
I am, etc.,
L. McKNIGHT
lmcknight@hotmail.com
Liguanea, Kingston 6
Via Go-Jamaica
