WESTERN BUREAU:
In a rather unusual concession, Joshua Cummings, councillor for the Montego Bay Central division, which covers the volatile Norwood community, has admitted to interacting with known violence producers, but says he has never benefited politically from those interactions.
Cummings, who made his mark in St James football as a player, coach and administrator before venturing into politics, said in an interview with The Gleaner that in his interactions with the violence producers, he also tries to encourage them to adopt a positive posture and change their lives.
“The only way I could say I benefit is as a member of the Church,” said Cummings, who worships at the Norwood Seventh-day Adventist Church. “I would always encourage them to come to the church. A lot of them do, and some are willing to walk on a new path knowing Christ.”
Cummings was responding to a 2017 research document produced by the Social Development Commission (SDC) that stated that some residents were of the view that politicians could do more to assist anti-gang efforts by working with the police.
When quizzed as to how difficult it is to operate politically in a community renowned for gang violence, including regular murders, the first-time Jamaica Labour Party councillor said his association with some of the gangsters date back to when he was heavily involved in sports.
“It was not a challenge, because they knew me as a coach. I coached a lot of them, so it wasn’t really challenging in terms of operating in this space,” noted Cummings.
Cummings was part of a high-level delegation led by National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang, who is the member of parliament for St James North West, where Norwood is located. The touring party also included Omar Sweeny, deputy chairman of the zone of special operation (ZOSO) Social Intervention Committee, and Kevin Kerr, vice-president of operations at the National Water Commission, and members of the joint security forces.
In speaking to the situation on the ground in Norwood, Chang noted that both gangsters and persons who are not involved in crime have fled the area to escape the dragnet, which formed part of the ZOSO, that was declared on June 20.
“Naturally, when the zone was announced, a lot of people moved out. My understanding is that some people thought we were going to come with a state of emergency,” said Chang.
“Most will move back to their homes, where they can be questioned. The police will have to decide, on whatever evidence they have, if it’s enough to go to court or they will just have to monitor [them] and maintain the peace.”