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PMI dismisses security forces' claim of dismantling gangs
Observer Monday Exchange
BY ALICIA DUNKLEY Observer senior reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
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THE security forces' claim that it has been "dismantling gangs" has been challenged by the Peace Management Initiative (PMI) which said the declaration is fed by a misunderstanding of the gangs, the dynamics of which have changed significantly over the years.
"Historically, the turf lines were drawn through the political process and so communities were split along political lines. But now it's not just 10 guys [who] form a gang in the community, the entire community takes on the process and becomes a part of the process in terms of covering up for them, hiding them, feeding them," explained Damian Hutchinson, PMI programmes manager for Kingston.
Peace Management Initiative (PMI) liaison officer Milton Tomlinson (left) makes a point to PMI officer for Greenwich Town Maxine Simpson as she addresses editors and reporters at the Observer's Monday Exchange, yesterday. Also pictured is Richard Roberts, PMI officer for Whitfield Town. (Photo: Michael Gordon)
Peace Management Initiative (PMI) liaison officer Milton Tomlinson (left) makes a point to PMI officer for Greenwich Town Maxine Simpson as she addresses editors and reporters at the Observer's Monday Exchange, yesterday. Also pictured is Richard Roberts, PMI officer for Whitfield Town. (Photo: Michael Gordon)
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Hutchinson and three other PMI officials were guests at yesterday's Observer Monday Exchange.
According to Hutchinson, people in the communities have very little choice but to deal with the gangsters who offer them protection.
"So it's a process where the entire community is wrapped up in the violence, so it is not just a gang," he said. "So it is very tricky when the police say they are going to dismantle a gang. How do you dismantle a community?" he asked.
"It's not just 10 man that you run into and kill off the 10 name brand man. His mother is there, his sister is there and his cousins are there. It's community battling against community, so it's very tricky when you say you are going to dismantle a gang, it's communities," he noted.
According to Milton Tomlinson, PMI liaison officer, "most of the times it's not that these gangs force people to support them, because you have people supporting gangs who are not aware".
"You grow up in a community with all these guys and there is a football club in the community and the same guys in the club are the shottas," he explained. "A man come and beg you a $50, you give him $100; him want some food, you give him dinner, so yuh a support the thing, so when you are talking about gangs is joke."
At the same time, Hutchinson said the work of the PMI has grown increasingly difficult because of the changing nature of the gangs.
"You will have a community with six streets and six different leaders, so that is what is making our work more difficult now. We have more pockets and definitely more groups," he added, pointing out that significant social transformation needed to accompany any investment in these communities.
"So it's not just to say give them a road contract and the work is done and months after that you hear the shots firing again. You need the people to begin to own that process of change. The strategy must change, depending on the type of community you are dealing with," he added.
In the meantime, Hutchinson said the PMI was in fact having an easier time of dealing with communities where the violence is turf oriented as against communities where the conflict was politically driven.
"Also there are situations where the don for the community is overseas, and so he influences the process and the money to buy bullets comes through a money transfer facility every Friday. That situation is much more complicated because whereas the main players are in the community and you can get them to come together at the table, when you have an overseas factor like that, it's much more difficult," said Hutchinson.
In addition, the PMI officers said the perceived culture of secrecy in these communities was exactly because of the changing nature of gangs.
"The thinking is, I would not give up anybody in my community like that, because at the end of the day when war starts they are the ones who go on the frontlines and protect you. You have good eggs and you have bad eggs, and you have good gunmen and you have bad gunmen," Hutchinson declared.
He gave the chilling example of one individual who had his legitimate job but when his community came under fire used his savings to buy guns because his side was being bombarded.
"All of a sudden he became the leader for that pocket. The youth dem support him and is a man weh right now is the one keeping the community together. The police can't bring the level of security to that community that he brings. I will tell you that there is justice within the injustice," he said cryptically.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...-gangs_7961032
Observer Monday Exchange
BY ALICIA DUNKLEY Observer senior reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
var addthis_pub="jamaicaobserver";
THE security forces' claim that it has been "dismantling gangs" has been challenged by the Peace Management Initiative (PMI) which said the declaration is fed by a misunderstanding of the gangs, the dynamics of which have changed significantly over the years.
"Historically, the turf lines were drawn through the political process and so communities were split along political lines. But now it's not just 10 guys [who] form a gang in the community, the entire community takes on the process and becomes a part of the process in terms of covering up for them, hiding them, feeding them," explained Damian Hutchinson, PMI programmes manager for Kingston.
Peace Management Initiative (PMI) liaison officer Milton Tomlinson (left) makes a point to PMI officer for Greenwich Town Maxine Simpson as she addresses editors and reporters at the Observer's Monday Exchange, yesterday. Also pictured is Richard Roberts, PMI officer for Whitfield Town. (Photo: Michael Gordon)
Peace Management Initiative (PMI) liaison officer Milton Tomlinson (left) makes a point to PMI officer for Greenwich Town Maxine Simpson as she addresses editors and reporters at the Observer's Monday Exchange, yesterday. Also pictured is Richard Roberts, PMI officer for Whitfield Town. (Photo: Michael Gordon) 1/1 Hutchinson and three other PMI officials were guests at yesterday's Observer Monday Exchange.
According to Hutchinson, people in the communities have very little choice but to deal with the gangsters who offer them protection.
"So it's a process where the entire community is wrapped up in the violence, so it is not just a gang," he said. "So it is very tricky when the police say they are going to dismantle a gang. How do you dismantle a community?" he asked.
"It's not just 10 man that you run into and kill off the 10 name brand man. His mother is there, his sister is there and his cousins are there. It's community battling against community, so it's very tricky when you say you are going to dismantle a gang, it's communities," he noted.
According to Milton Tomlinson, PMI liaison officer, "most of the times it's not that these gangs force people to support them, because you have people supporting gangs who are not aware".
"You grow up in a community with all these guys and there is a football club in the community and the same guys in the club are the shottas," he explained. "A man come and beg you a $50, you give him $100; him want some food, you give him dinner, so yuh a support the thing, so when you are talking about gangs is joke."
At the same time, Hutchinson said the work of the PMI has grown increasingly difficult because of the changing nature of the gangs.
"You will have a community with six streets and six different leaders, so that is what is making our work more difficult now. We have more pockets and definitely more groups," he added, pointing out that significant social transformation needed to accompany any investment in these communities.
"So it's not just to say give them a road contract and the work is done and months after that you hear the shots firing again. You need the people to begin to own that process of change. The strategy must change, depending on the type of community you are dealing with," he added.
In the meantime, Hutchinson said the PMI was in fact having an easier time of dealing with communities where the violence is turf oriented as against communities where the conflict was politically driven.
"Also there are situations where the don for the community is overseas, and so he influences the process and the money to buy bullets comes through a money transfer facility every Friday. That situation is much more complicated because whereas the main players are in the community and you can get them to come together at the table, when you have an overseas factor like that, it's much more difficult," said Hutchinson.
In addition, the PMI officers said the perceived culture of secrecy in these communities was exactly because of the changing nature of gangs.
"The thinking is, I would not give up anybody in my community like that, because at the end of the day when war starts they are the ones who go on the frontlines and protect you. You have good eggs and you have bad eggs, and you have good gunmen and you have bad gunmen," Hutchinson declared.
He gave the chilling example of one individual who had his legitimate job but when his community came under fire used his savings to buy guns because his side was being bombarded.
"All of a sudden he became the leader for that pocket. The youth dem support him and is a man weh right now is the one keeping the community together. The police can't bring the level of security to that community that he brings. I will tell you that there is justice within the injustice," he said cryptically.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...-gangs_7961032
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