There is a sense of hope in Norwood – Chang

WESTERN BUREAU:

ALMOST A year following the declaration of a zone of special operations (ZOSO) in Norwood, St James, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang says the security intervention has restored a sense of hope among the residents who were previously trapped in deadly gang conflicts.

Prior to June 20 last year, internal gang-related conflicts reigned supreme, accounting for some 15 murders from 14 incidents of shootings in the Norwood space. This prompted the security forces to seek help from Prime Minister Andrew Holness for the declaration of the area as a ZOSO.

Upon the declaration of the ZOSO on June 20, 2021, the country was informed that since 2019, there have been 66 murders recorded in the area and that the community was home to the operation of six gangs whose criminal activities were impacting the wider police division of St James.

“It has been very peaceful in the area with a lot of community interactions. In fact, they are playing together again and that’s very positive,” Chang said.

“So far, the community has been very quiet and has been very positive in their reception of the security forces. We haven’t had any quarrels with them as has happened elsewhere [in Denham town],” the security minister told The Gleaner.

Soldiers, residents clash

In the western Kingston community of Denham Town, where similar operations are being carried out, there have been several murders within that space, coupled with recent clashes between Jamaica Defence Force personnel and residents.

In one widely circulated video, a man and woman were seen tussling with a soldier and were later detained. In a second video, a woman, who is said to be pregnant, was captured confronting a soldier before being pushed and kicked at by another JDF member.

“Some of the officers [in Norwood] feel that they’re not doing anything because they have nothing to do,” the national security minister noted.

He said Norwood is a community that has a large population of working people, “so it’s just a matter of maintaining a level of order between the various factions”. The violence is due largely to increased lotto scamming, which is part of the Montego Bay underworld.

The ZOSOs operate under a three-prong approach: clear, hold and build. But according to Chang, who is also the member of parliament for the St James North Western constituency in which the community of Norwood is located, the build phase is just coming on stream.

Under the build phase, state-operated social intervention agencies will implement several projects to enhance the aesthetics of the community and to improve the lives of the residents. Chief among the physical social intervention will be the regularisation of potable water in the community.

Chang told The Gleaner that for the most part the community is illegally connected to water mains from other communities, which is not sustainable.

“They do have a supply up there, but it is not legitimate. They are taking water from elsewhere and running their own pipelines, so we want to structure that into a formal system,” he explained, before adding that “formalising the various aspects of the community is important in ensuring that there is sustainability with order up there”.

Along with fixing the water problem, Chang said there are a few minor roads that will be rehabilitated, which, he noted, are of strategic value to the effective policing of the space.