Glenroy Sinclair and Petrina Francis
Left - Right: Becky Stockhausen, Donovan Corcho and Trevor Weston
PROPERTY VALUES are on the rise and businesses are looking up in the once volatile St. Andrew community of Grants Pen. Delivery trucks which had stopped transporting goods to the area, are rolling through the streets again.
The transformation began six months ago, following the opening of the multi-million dollar AmCham Complex, which houses the model community policing centre, and a type three health centre.
"Property values have increased. People who were selling (their properties) are not selling anymore," reported Becky Stockhausen, executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce of Jamaica (AmCham), at a Gleaner Editors' Forum, held yesterday at the Grants Pen Police Station.
"I think very soon we are going to see more businesses coming into Grants Pen," she added.
RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES
This is a community where a year ago, people had to be running for their lives, following sporadic clashes between rival gangs. In one of these incidents, seven-year-old Shaneal Raffington, a student of the Shortwood Practising and Junior High School, was killed by a gunman's bullet.
But things have since changed. According to Inspector Michael Simpson, commanding officer of the Grants Pen Police Station, between November 2005 and May 2006, there has not been one single murder reported in the community.
"All major crimes are down. Our main concerns are robberies and domestic violence," said Inspector Simpson.
But despite the reduction in crime, Inspector Simpson and his team have been successful in finding illegal guns and ammunition believed to be hidden away in the community.
The community police centre which was opened last November was born out of AmCham's mission to combat the increasing levels of crime and violence in Jamaica, which they say have stymied investment and entrepreneurial activities, and created a climate of fear among citizens.
So successful is the programme, it is to be replicated in another community in Jamaica. According to Karen Turner, mission director for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Flankers community in Montego Bay, St. James, is likely to be the community targeted next to receive a similar facility. USAID funded the training of police officers at the Grants Pen Police Station in the techniques of community policing.
SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ROBBERIES
Trevor Weston, vice-president of the West Acadia Park Citizens' Association, an adjoining community to Grants Pen, said prior to the construction of the model community policing centre, there was a significant number of robberies and car theft in his community.
"Now, in recent times, we have not had any problems. No car has been stolen and pilfering has almost ceased," he testifies. "I am hopeful that in two decades (Grants Pen) will return to its former glory."
In his remarks, community member Donovan Corcho, said Grants Pen has moved from a "ghost town" to a community where there is hope.
"In 1998 you couldn't come to Grants Pen after 6:00 p.m. because not even dogs you would find on the streets," he said.
