Tweet
Children played happily on the streets as some adults, including the very old, congregated on the sidewalks laughing and chatting away. These were the signs yesterday that crime has become less and less of a concern in Tel Aviv, once a hot spot in central Kingston.
With no major crimes recorded last year, community leaders and the police are confident that they are doing something right while others are breathing a sigh of relief that they can now enjoy peace in the usually tough area.
Chairman of the Tel Aviv Community Association, Rohan Smith, said a number of strategies have been employed to bring calm to the area.
"We socialised a lot and we tried our best to reach out to the people by any means possible so they can be comfortable," Smith said.
"If there is an argument between two people, we try to sort it out in the best way possible, so we don't bother with the war. We live like family down here," he explained.
"With the help of sponsorship, we keep back-to-school functions, Christmas functions, we help the elderly with food items and at the same time in the mornings we help some children who don't have it with lunch money. So we try to make life a little easier for persons in the community and that is why the community is better today," he further said.
Smith added that all the lanes in the community were also united through different social activities.
Alluding to flare-ups in the 2007 general election, he said the unity between persons from both political parties was an indication that the residents are enjoying the now calm community.
One of the residents said she was happy for the peace and was hopeful it would continue that way.
"It is unity now. Everybody enjoying the peace. We are all happy around here and the children can now live happier," she told The Gleaner.
Head of the division, Superintendent Steve McGregor, explained that the decline represents work in progress, which he would continue this year.
"It is unprecedented in the downtown Kingston area. The division did extremely well as we met all the targets that we have set and we are going to make all the efforts to carry it into the New Year," he said.
In order to make the communities safe, McGregor said the police worked closely with the residents so that the strategies they employed could be successful.
"When we have any flare-ups, we lock down the community until we have it under control. We have regular community meetings, which was one of the key things, because we police with the consent of the people," he said.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...ead/lead1.html
With no major crimes recorded last year, community leaders and the police are confident that they are doing something right while others are breathing a sigh of relief that they can now enjoy peace in the usually tough area.
Chairman of the Tel Aviv Community Association, Rohan Smith, said a number of strategies have been employed to bring calm to the area.
"We socialised a lot and we tried our best to reach out to the people by any means possible so they can be comfortable," Smith said.
"If there is an argument between two people, we try to sort it out in the best way possible, so we don't bother with the war. We live like family down here," he explained.
"With the help of sponsorship, we keep back-to-school functions, Christmas functions, we help the elderly with food items and at the same time in the mornings we help some children who don't have it with lunch money. So we try to make life a little easier for persons in the community and that is why the community is better today," he further said.
Smith added that all the lanes in the community were also united through different social activities.
Alluding to flare-ups in the 2007 general election, he said the unity between persons from both political parties was an indication that the residents are enjoying the now calm community.
One of the residents said she was happy for the peace and was hopeful it would continue that way.
"It is unity now. Everybody enjoying the peace. We are all happy around here and the children can now live happier," she told The Gleaner.
Head of the division, Superintendent Steve McGregor, explained that the decline represents work in progress, which he would continue this year.
"It is unprecedented in the downtown Kingston area. The division did extremely well as we met all the targets that we have set and we are going to make all the efforts to carry it into the New Year," he said.
In order to make the communities safe, McGregor said the police worked closely with the residents so that the strategies they employed could be successful.
"When we have any flare-ups, we lock down the community until we have it under control. We have regular community meetings, which was one of the key things, because we police with the consent of the people," he said.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...ead/lead1.html
Comment