ALL OVER Jamaica communities are in a state of decay, but nowhere more so than in inner-city areas. A couple of weeks ago we carried as "Letter of the Day," a letter on "The tragedy of Woodford Park" by noted trade unionist Senator Dwight Nelson.
Mr. Nelson described in nostalgic terms an urban community in the South Camp Road/Arnold Road area in which he and his children after him and several other well-known Jamaicans grew up in peace and security. Despite strong support for both the PNP and the JLP in this working-class community, "Woodford Park seemed immune to the devastating violence which has enveloped our inner-city communities."
Things have changed. "The sounds of high-powered weapons permeate the air with frightening frequency." Several lives have been lost in cycles of killings and reprisal killings. This may be a relatively new occurrence in quiet, industrious Woodford Park. But it is the story of too many other communities for too many years. Just this past week-end August Town was involved in another spasm of murder and reprisal, and the question is always "Where next?
Last Wednesday, we carried photographs of roadblocks in areas of Central and Western Kingston which have been there for weeks. The residents have blocked the roads leading into their communities, not in protest, but for their own safety by preventing drive-by shootings. The removal of those roadblocks by the police without adequate presence and capacity for protecting and reassuring the citizens in those communities will only set the stage for more terrorism and loss of life.
The pathetic scenario, captured on camera by our photographers, of students and adults picking their way around the roadblocks of junk and garbage speaks more eloquently than a thousand words, to the decay of community life and the human costs attached. Tribal politics has played a major role in the degradation of communities. The Ministry of National Security has launched a Citizens' Security and Justice Programme (CSJP) to address some of these issues. The Jamaica Social Investment Fund has been engaged to lead the community action component of the programme which will see the improvement of physical infrastructure in nine low-income, high-crime-and-violence inner-city communities.
The progressive decay of infrastructure over years in these areas, many of which were prime suburban residential areas should have been alarming had we not grownz used to accepting the unacceptable. All the grand goals for national development will not be realised unless the will and the means can be found for reversing the decay of community life all across the nation. As the Government is now acknowledging in the CSJP, public security and justice, with basic infrastructural improvements, are indispensable considerations at the very start of restorative efforts.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
