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  • #1

    Salvation Army pastor knocks churches

    Salvation Army pastor knocks churches
    Says criminals doing better job of recruiting youths

    BY HORACE HINES Observer staff reporter hinesh@jamaicaobserver.com

    Monday, February 24, 2014

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    Cheddi Van Creighton, western regional manager, Jamaica Observer, accepts a plaque from Viviene McDonald Calder of the Salvation Army Western Jamaica Division during a prayer breakfast in which the Observer was recognised for its contribution to the ministry of the Salvation Army and the wider community last Saturday. (PHOTO: PHILLIP LEMONTE)

    MONTEGO BAY, St James — A Salvation Army pastor last Saturday expressed disappointment that criminal organisations appear to be doing a better job of recruiting youths than the church is at preaching the gospel.

    Captain Derrick Miller, pastor of Savanna-la-Mar Salvation Army Church, also said that division among churches was contributing to criminals flourishing in the country.

    "Even though Jamaica boasts of an impressive number of churches per square mile, so organised is this criminal system that they seem to be doing better at recruitment than the church seems to be doing at evangelism," Captain Miller told guests attending the second prayer breakfast put on by the Salvation Army Western Jamaica Division at the Grandiosa Hotel in Montego Bay.

    He recommended that churches concentrate less on promoting denominational doctrines and put more effort into uplifting the lives of people.

    "Every denomination seems to be more focused on doctrinal practices than actually getting involved in transformational efforts of people. If the church is divided, the people will also be divided. And therefore, the churches need to understand that there is one God," the clergyman said. "The denominational practices are not that important. And we should be more actively involved in the lives of our people."

    Captain Miller also called on all stakeholders to join hands in charting the future of the youths.

    "It has to take comprehensive effort — all of the factors involved," he said. "The Government, the church, private sector, everyone has to get meaningfully involved in the future of Jamaica. We can't say our children are our future when we do not do enough to preserve our future."

    During the breakfast, Sister Dale Colquhoun prayed for the Government and community leaders; Brother Stephen Allen prayed for the nation's youths, while Deacon Baldwin Powell of Blessed Sacrament Cathedral prayed for families.

    A highlight of the function was the honouring of the Jamaica Observer for its contribution to the ministry of the Salvation Army and the wider community.
    THERE IS ONLY ONE ONANDI LOWE!

    "Good things come out of the garrisons" after his daughter won the 100m Gold For Jamaica.


    "It therefore is useless and pointless, unless it is for share malice and victimisation to arrest and charge a 92-year-old man for such a simple offence. There is nothing morally wrong with this man smoking a spliff; the only thing wrong is that it is still on the law books," said Chevannes.
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  • #2
    Police commissioner gets warm welcome downtown
    BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com

    Monday, February 24, 2014

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    A vendor walks with Police Commissioner Owen Ellington during his tour of the market district downtown Kingston last Thursday.

    YOU got the feeling that a rock star was in town.

    Vendors, shoppers and business owners reacted with glee as Police Commissioner Owen Ellington and some of his officers walked downtown Kingston's busy streets last Thursday.

    "Big up yuself, me boss. Mi feel safer from mi see you," shouted one vendor, who halted his activities near Coronation Market to shake the commissioner's hand.

    "A who dat? Nuh di man who me see pon TV every day. A wha him a do down here so?" one vendor was overheard asking her colleague.

    "Nuh di big policeman Owen Ellington; it good to see that him come out an' a visit the area," said another woman.

    One young female vendor rushed from her spot on a sidewalk to shake Ellington's hand and have a word with him.

    Others walked with him for some distance, sharing their daily experiences on the streets.

    Still others wanted to take pictures with the commissioner, while a few youngsters engaged him in a long discussion.

    The tour, according to members of the police high command, was to provide reassurance to Jamaicans as they went about their daily business in the commercial hub and surrounding areas where criminals have, in the past, tried to drive fear in the hearts of law-abiding citizens.

    The police also said the walk-through represented the latest efforts by the constabulary to engage members of the public on a greater level.

    The top cop also used the tour to meet with members of the constabulary on beat patrol.

    "It is always good as a leader to see things through your own eyes so that when you are discussing the problems and talking to people on the front line you can actually relate in a more particular way to some of the things they are saying to you," said the police commissioner.
    THERE IS ONLY ONE ONANDI LOWE!

    "Good things come out of the garrisons" after his daughter won the 100m Gold For Jamaica.


    "It therefore is useless and pointless, unless it is for share malice and victimisation to arrest and charge a 92-year-old man for such a simple offence. There is nothing morally wrong with this man smoking a spliff; the only thing wrong is that it is still on the law books," said Chevannes.

    Comment

    • #3
      'Church Should Help With Restorative Justice' - Bunting
      Published: Monday | February 24, 2014 0 Comments
      Bunting
      Bunting
      KINGSTON (JIS):

      National Security Minister Peter Bunting has pointed to the need to incorporate community institutions, such as the church, in the restorative justice programme.

      He said that faith-based organisations can lend greater support to the process by allowing the use of their facilities as resource centres. In addition, the church administration and its membership can be trained and equipped as stakeholders in the restorative justice process.

      "The reports I get from the National Intelligence Bureau tell of at least 50 different gang conflicts in different communities. It means that, ideally, we would need, for example, 50 different restorative justice centres operating. In every one of these communities, we have churches, we have an infrastructure already ... they have church halls, and we need to co-opt some of these to (be) used as restorative justice centres," the Minister stated.

      He was addressing the fifth international restorative justice conference held last Friday, at the Knutsford Court Hotel, New Kingston.

      Restorative Justice is a process whereby all the parties with a stake in a particular offence come together to resolve collectively how to deal with the aftermath of the offence. It focuses on holding the offender accountable in a more meaningful way and achieving a sense of healing for both the victim and the community.

      The minister stressed that restorative justice "is an important tool in our suite of approaches and interventions" in addressing crime and violence, as it employs a more holistic approach to the traditional law enforcement measures.

      An example

      He cited the Tivoli Gardens police post in West Kingston as an example of this approach by his ministry.

      He argued that the "more community groups, citizens of goodwill, and churches that we can get to recognise how profound a developmental obstacle the issue of crime and violence is to our society, and if we can provide a template to move from concern to action, then we can start to mobilise what I think are tremendous resources (to more effectively address the issue)."

      The one-day conference, which was attended by local and overseas presenters and stakeholders, was staged by the Ministry of Justice under the theme: 'Restorative Justice as a Catalyst for Unity, Healing, and Transformation'.
      THERE IS ONLY ONE ONANDI LOWE!

      "Good things come out of the garrisons" after his daughter won the 100m Gold For Jamaica.


      "It therefore is useless and pointless, unless it is for share malice and victimisation to arrest and charge a 92-year-old man for such a simple offence. There is nothing morally wrong with this man smoking a spliff; the only thing wrong is that it is still on the law books," said Chevannes.

      Comment

      • #4
        'I Am The Happiest Police Informer'
        Published: Monday | February 24, 2014 2 Comments
        Phillip Paulwell
        Phillip Paulwell
        Livern Barrett, Gleaner Writer

        ANOTHER JAMAICAN legislator has declared that he is "a proud police informer."

        The latest declaration came yesterday from Phillip Paulwell, minister of science, technology, energy and mining, while he participated in a peace march in the troubled east Kingston community of McIntyre Villa.

        "People say that I am an informer. Yes, I am a proud informer," declared Paulwell, who is also the parliamentary representative for the area.

        "Because, if I can save one more life, which is one life that is golden, then we would be true to the Lord," he continued.

        The Government legislator later told The Gleaner that the comments were his way of trying to break the back of the 'informer fi dead' culture that exists across inner-city communities plagued by violence.

        "I am trying to lead by example, to encourage our people to inform ... . They have to pass (on) information to the police. There is nothing wrong with being an informer," Paulwell insisted.

        He added: "This culture about 'informer fi dead' we have to kill that culture, and that's the message I'm sending."

        Opposition legislator Desmond McKenzie last year declared that he was "the biggest police informer right now", as he urged residents in his west Kingston constituency to provide him with the names of those responsible for the shooting death of a child so he could pass them on to the police.

        Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington, who participated in yesterday's march, said he was heartened by Paulwell's declaration and sought to dispel claims that police personnel are passing information provided by citizens to criminal elements.

        "Those days are well, well behind us ... . We are not compromising anyone," Ellington told The Gleaner.

        "We are managing information ... our intelligence monitoring processes now are the best they have ever been," he insisted.

        The march by a cross-section of church leaders and members of the Police High Command came a week after McKintyre Villa was rocked by two brazen attacks by rival gangs that left a man and a 17-month-old child dead and two others hospitalised with serious injuries.

        "Enough is enough" was the common theme among residents who welcomed the initiative, saying they were hopeful that it will end the violence and fear that has gripped the area.

        "We have had one-and-one sit downs and those have not worked. This [the march] is new and, hopefully, it can work if the church and the police continue to play this role," said one resident, Kevin Brown.

        livern.barrett@gleanerjm.com
        THERE IS ONLY ONE ONANDI LOWE!

        "Good things come out of the garrisons" after his daughter won the 100m Gold For Jamaica.


        "It therefore is useless and pointless, unless it is for share malice and victimisation to arrest and charge a 92-year-old man for such a simple offence. There is nothing morally wrong with this man smoking a spliff; the only thing wrong is that it is still on the law books," said Chevannes.

        Comment

        • #5
          The time is ripe for a different approach to Jamaicas crime problem,with a holistic approach from all stakeholders,acknowledging that crime & unemployment is the problem,eradicating ganja escapisim.Employing proven social theories that work ,like police ,church,human rights community out reach we can push back these criminal elements,one street at a time .

          1) Hold open church services in the streets of these communities(police * social service,human rights org) must be involved.
          2)Stop locking up individuals for their cultural community herb- it puts a us vs them mentality in the unemployed youths head.
          3)Paint a Street(rehab it)
          4)Bring in social service partners-educate
          5)Human rights org -educate

          Its all about out reach involvement showing that you care by presenting an eternal presence......cock roach nuh love light.
          Last edited by Sir X; February 24, 2014, 08:46 AM.
          THERE IS ONLY ONE ONANDI LOWE!

          "Good things come out of the garrisons" after his daughter won the 100m Gold For Jamaica.


          "It therefore is useless and pointless, unless it is for share malice and victimisation to arrest and charge a 92-year-old man for such a simple offence. There is nothing morally wrong with this man smoking a spliff; the only thing wrong is that it is still on the law books," said Chevannes.

          Comment

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