‘We have been through a lot’
McKenzie urges Denham Town to repair image, mend relationship with security forces
Published:Tuesday | April 26, 2022 | 12:09 AMAsha Wilks/Gleaner Writer
Kingston Western Member of Parliament Desmond McKenzie has expressed concern over the frayed relationship between his constituents and the security forces, which degenerated further last week as Denham Town as a fiery protest erupted following the shooting death of Horaine Glenn by a soldier.
According to the police, Glenn was shot two Saturdays ago after he reportedly emptied the contents of a beer bottle on soldiers as they tired to search four men while on foot patrol. When they tried to accost Glenn, he reportedly attempted to disarm a soldier and was shot four times. The residents have challenged that account, stating that the 32-year-old was killed in cold blood.
Tension has been high in the community since then, and last week, residents staged two days of protests, blocking sections of Charles Street, North Street, and Spanish Town Road.
Speaking at an awards ceremony for 28 Denham Town beneficiaries of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund’s Integrated Community Development Project Phase 2, last Friday, McKenzie lamented the breakdown in the relationship.
“Last week wasn’t a good time for West Kingston,” said the member of parliament, calling for mutual respect to be re-established between civilians and the security forces.
McKenzie said that after also seeing a widely circulated video of a young man kicking a member of the Jamaica Defence Force within the constituency, it was clear that there was a need for intervention.
“I want to say to my constituency, ... if there is a case where the community feels as if justice was not done in the correct way, there is a mechanism in place to raise these concerns,” he said as he condemned the actions.
He noted that residents have been cooperating with the Independent Commission of Investigations, which is investigating the circumstances surrounding Glenn’s death.
“A life has been lost. You can’t replace that life, but we must become more responsible and respectful to members of security forces,” he said.
The member of parliament noted that respect was a “two-way street”, also calling on the military and police personnel to treat citizens with civility and professionalism.
He noted that there was much work to be done to repair the reputation of Denham Town, which has a history of violence and has been blanketed by a zone of special operations (ZOSO) for almost five years.
McKenzie urged citizens to conduct their protests peacefully and within the boundary of the law if they choose to exercise that right.
“I am not afraid, and I would never be afraid to call out those who are making the lives of many people within this constituency miserable. I will support the efforts to bring an end to that level of vulgarity within this constituency, but I will also not support any attack on our security forces,” he stressed. “We have been through a lot in this constituency, and I believe the time has come that we must now take a different approach to how we do things.”
McKenzie, who is also minister of local government and rural development, reaffirmed his commitment to working with Senior Superintendent Michael Phipps, commander of the Kingston Western Police Division, to guarantee effective policing in the area with minimal conflicts.
“Whatever it takes, I am committed, and I am asking you, the residents of Denham Town and the entire constituency, to join me to repair the damage that was created last week,” he added.