Dover starts to heal after December quadruple murder
Published:Monday | February 17, 2020 | 12:11 AMRasbert Turner/Gleaner Writer
Two months ago, a group of gunmen pounced on patrons at a shop and a nearby bar in Dover district, Kitson Town, St Catherine, unleashing a bloody attack in which nine persons were shot, four fatally.
Still reeling from the incident which shook the community to the core, residents, in partnership with the police and the churches, have begun to put the pieces back together to bring normalcy to the area.
“The community has been reduced to a ghost town and it will be very difficult to return to its former position, but the healing has started. Like Jeremiah, we think that there is balm in Dover,” Pastor Norva Rodney said as police officers from Shady Grove, Browns Hall, Point Hill and Guanaboa Vale joined the residents for a service of healing and restoration at the Dover Baptist Church three weeks ago.
The service, chaired by Inspector Ishmael Williams, along with his colleagues, who contributed through songs and scripture reading, was held under the theme ‘You and Me, We Can Make It Right’.
Rodney commended the cops for their efforts in rebuilding the community after the fateful night.
“It is showing that the police is showing peace through the power of God. It is not only detective investigation that is at play in seeking to solve the problem. This is a clear manifestation that they (the police) do care. It is a very refreshing approach,” he said, adding that the quadruple killing had inflicted emotional, spiritual and psychological scars on the once-vibrant community.
Sergeant Wayne Constantine of the Guanaboa Vale Police Station said God’s guidance was needed on the journey to healing.
“We are aware of a great number of unattached youth within the community. We have started to structure our approach to establish a police youth club, and as part of the rebuilding process, we’ve partnered with the church for divine guidance,” he said.
“We are pleased to be in church to worship with you at this your time of sadness,” added commanding officer of the St Catherine North Division, Senior Superintendent of Police Beau Rigabie. “We are prepared to work with you until things are under control. I must tell you, though, we need your help to help the healing process. You need to trust us, as with unity comes trust.”
As Pastor Rodney joined the call for the community to rally behind the police to bring calm to the area, the message was not lost on residents.
“This is very good to see the police and the church working together as we call on them regularly. This is the unity we need to catch those who caused the grief that we are under,” one resident commented.