THE EDITOR, Sir:CONTRARY TO popular belief, Spanish Town is on the rebound where crime and criminal activities are concerned. Police statistics have shown about a 12 per cent (or so) decline in most major crimes. Residents who actually live in the town will give you a different story. I have lived in Spanish Town all my life and I have noticed that in the past six months, there has been a drastic reduction in criminal activities which is somewhere in the region of 60 per cent or more.
Commendation should go to the police, social clubs and community groups. When all is said and done, the biggest contributors to the decline in criminal activities are the residents themselves. People are now socialising and partying together in Spanish Town. The contributions of the area leaders and power brokers within the communities must also be commended.
LACK OF OPPORTUNITIES
Spanish Town is suffering from a lack of opportunities for its citizens. Except for the four banks and supermarkets, no other business employs more than ten people at any one time.
There is no place in Spanish Town that offers mass employment, and that leaves the majority of its citizens unemployed. Most of the wholesales, shops and stores in Spanish Town are owned by expatriates. These are mostly Chinese, Indians and Pakistanis. These folks are not residents of the town. They come in the mornings and leave in the evenings. The few people that they employ are working slave wages. They do not participate in social upliftment for the people of Spanish Town. Most of the buildings in Spanish Town are in need of a fresh coat of paint. There are too many ugly and dilapidated buildings in Spanish Town that businesses are being conducted in. In the evenings the streets are clogged with garbage, left over from these places of businesses.
What has been done for Spanish Town lately? Nothing! That's the honest answer. The people of Spanish Town are crying out for help and assistance. They are not crying out for hand-outs and spoils.
BETTER LIFE
They need opportunities to make their lives better. They need employment and training, better infrastructure. They need for the town to be beautified and cleaned. The young men of the town are left on the streets with no hope of a bright future for themselves and their dependents. They have found out that crime is not the way to go. They are turning away from crime and violence and are now seeking better choices in life.
Do not condemn Spanish Town as lawless. The police will attest to the fact that crime and criminal activities are trending down. Therefore those who make a profit within the town should try and assist in offering more hope and inspiration to the people of the town.
It grieves my heart to see the conditions that people of the town live in day after day. My appeal to the business people is for them to take a closer look at Spanish Town and to offer more opportunities to its citizens. They don't need hands-out or pity. Ask yourselves this question: What have you done for Spanish Town lately?
I am, etc.,
NEVILLE BECKFORD
beckkid@hotmail.com
