‘Karate Georgie’ to head St James public order operations
Published:Monday | October 10, 2022 | 12:06 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
LEGENDARY CRIME fighter, Clive ‘Karate Georgie’ Lawrence, has returned to St James, this time as head of operations in the community services department at the St James Municipal Corporation.
Chairman of the St James Municipal Corporation, Councillor Leeroy Williams, confirmed the appointment, which he said was made after careful deliberation to select the ideal candidate for the advertised post.
“It’s because of his background as a former police officer why he was taken on because we needed someone of his stature to work in the municipal police department and we thought that, as somebody who had the experience in terms of policing and so on, (he) would be the right person.”
MOST FEARED
The ex-cop was one of the most feared crime fighters in the western region during his heyday. He is reputed to have single-handedly quietened the lawless and held the respect of the most influential in the tourist capital. But, while his exploits drew rave reviews in the past, the business community is still uncertain if this appointment is the solution to solve the long-standing public disorder that has plagued Montego Bay.
“Dealing with vending is totally different from dealing with criminals, (but) I suppose that he would have gone through training that should have him being able to deal with any situation,” Oral Heaven, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said of the ex-cop, ‘Karate Georgie’. “I am sure that they (St James Municipal Corporation) would have considered all those things and their decision in selecting him to lead this group in ensuring that vending is managed.”
Continuing, Heaven said: “We support anything that has to do with the maintenance of public order, and, with his experience as a law enforcement officer, it can only augur well for Montego Bay to have him in this capacity.
“We welcome the fact that there is an entity that focuses on public order,” he said of the municipal police. “But we now need to see his competence in handling public order issues, before we make an assessment.”
KUNG FU SKILLS
In his policing career, Lawrence is reputed to have used innovative strategies to capture high-profile criminals, including his kung fu skills, to disarm gunmen.
He was conferred with the Mayor of Montego Bay’s Special Award for his service to St James in 2019, five years after his retirement.
Lawrence, who joined the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) in 1983 and served in Montego Bay and its environs for three decades, will work alongside the municipal police officers to manage illegal vending activities along the commercial corridors and at the Charles Gordon Market.
Williams did not respond to queries about whether Lawrence was given additional training for his new role, but rejected the suggestion that the appointment was an indicator the multi-agency-driven ‘Restoring Paradise, a Public Order Reset’, had failed.
“Restore Paradise is going very well, we are seeing results,” he insisted. “Nothing is wrong with what Restoring Paradise is doing, we don’t have a problem.”
The initiative, ‘Restoring Paradise, a Public Order Reset’, was rolled out in August in response to the wanton chaos along the commercial corridors and in the vicinity of the Charles Gordon Market.
The JCF-led operation targets street vendors and illegal taxis, which make it difficult for the free flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the public thoroughfare.