Barnett Oval residents call on security forces to repair community park
Published:Wednesday | August 16, 2023 | 12:08 AMMark Titus/Senior Gleaner Writer
The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) says it has deployed engineers to examine the level of work required to restore the Barnett Oval that was occupied by members of the security forces during the zone of special operations (ZOSO) in Mount Salem in Montego Bay.
This follows complaints by residents that they have not been able to use the facility since the security forces vacated the property and relocated their operating base to Norwood, over two years ago.
“This is where we have our cricket matches and other community events,” said Trevor Rose, a community member. “But the Government took it over in 2017 and although they have left, we have not been able to use the facility for over two years.”
The Mount Salem ZOSO was established in September 2017 in response to heightened criminality and gang violence, but residents are now enjoying relative peace, thanks to the intervention of several social agencies.
There have also been some infrastructural improvements, especially access to communities, the construction of a new police station, the refurbishing of the Mount Salem Primary School, rehabilitation of the community centre, and a zinc fence removal project.
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When the news team visited the facility, the field was unkempt and the area overgrown with bushes. Goats were grazing in areas that would usually be buzzing with different recreational activities and games, while youngsters from the community sat idly by.
“I have written to JSIF about the condition that the Barnett Oval was left in and it is unfortunate that nothing has been done to return the park to the community, after using it for so many years,” Kerry Thomas, councillor for the Mount Salem division in the St James Municipal Corporation, told the news team. “So, in one area we are creating opportunities for the people, but on the other hand, we are leaving destruction behind us.”
But while his responsibility is mainly regarding the social interventions within the communities, Omar Sweeney, managing director at JSIF, says action is being taken to address the concerns.
“I have received the report of the concerns of the condition of the oval and have passed on the information to the joint force command, but I have also deployed my engineers to take a look at the condition of the facility, so I expect that report by the end of August.”
The report will also determine the level of work to be done on the road infrastructure in the Barnett Oval community, Sweeney says.
The operational base in Norwood occupies a space that was once utilised for community leisure and recreational activities, but a new sporting complex is currently under construction at a cost of $50 million, while another area called Garvey Square has been rehabilitated for leisure games and general entertainment.