Clarendon residents in watch-and-see mode

As news emerged that a state of public emergency had been declared in Clarendon yesterday, residents of the central Jamaica parish, residents were overjoyed.

The parish, which has recorded several major crimes – including 100 murders and a brazen daylight robbery and subsequent gun battle between armed men and the police in the parish’s capital in May – was announced as being under an SOE yesterday along with the neighbouring St Catherine.

Speaking with our news team on condition of anonymity, residents in the volatile community of Raymonds said that although they were welcoming the news, they had doubts about the SOE being an effective crime plan.

“Yeah, man! Dem (security forces) must run through the place," one man said. "Dem shoulda just show up because the man dem a go lift up out a the place yah now.”

"I personally think the SOE won’t really do much because the soldiers are not willing to go into certain communities, them just hurry up and pass through,” one lady added.

Her sentiments were shared by another resident, who added: "Dem yah soldier a coward. Dem nuh bad like one time.”

One Hayes resident said that while he welcomes the SOE, he was more concerned about the actions of the police than those of criminals.

“I’m more scared of the cops than whoever a cause the SOE down here. Dem really abuse dem authority. Dem a do them job, but dem also a do bare wrong doings while doing it,” he offered.

– Olivia Brown