Rude awakening - Demolition crew flattens 20 squatter houses in Cooper’s Pen; remaining families uneasy

WESTERN BUREAU:

Residents of a section of Cooper’s Pen, Trelawny, were jolted from their slumber on Tuesday morning to find a demolition crew flattening their houses in a pre-dawn operation involving bulldozers, tractors, and sledgehammers.

When the hours-long exercise, carried out under the watchful eyes of a bailiff and a strong police contingent, ended, 20 predominantly concrete houses lay in ruins as their bewildered owners looked on in disbelief.

“This is a complete surprise. We got no warning or anything, so it is like we were ambushed,” a tearful woman lamented, adding that they were not even given a chance to secure their belongings.

“A lot of sweat, tears, and partner money got bulldozed this morning by these wicked and uncaring people,” she wailed.

According to the residents, at about 3 a.m., a police team entered the community and detained more than 20 men, whisking them away from the community without explanation. Shortly after, they heard the rumbling sounds of the bulldozers, signalling the start of the demolition.

“The only mercy they (the demolition crew) showed me was to allow me to go back into the house to pick up my baby,” a female resident told The Gleaner. “Right now, I am totally confused because I have nowhere to go … . I feel like they have ripped away my life.”

Efforts by The Gleaner to speak with the bailiff and ascertain the reasons behind the demolition and who provided the authorisation proved futile as he ignored all the questions that were asked of him. The police on location also refused to answer any questions.

According to the affected residents, some of whom said that they had been living on the property for more than 30 years, while they recognised that they had no legal claim to the property, they were unclear as to its true ownership.

“In 2009, a gentleman showed up claiming ownership of the property and took us to court, but the matter was not resolved, and we were not given any new court date. This morning marks the first time that we were molested by anyone since that time,” one of the longstanding residents told The Gleaner.

Councillor Garth Wilkinson decried the demolition exercise.

“This is inhumane. The person behind this should have had dialogue with the people first so that they would have known if the land is up for sale, which would have given them an opportunity to buy their respective plots,” said Wilkinson.

Businessman Dennis Meadows, the People’s National Party (PNP) caretaker for Trelawny Northern, also took issue with the demolition. While acknowledging that the legality of the action may ultimately have to be determined through the appropriate legal processes, he stressed that the humanitarian impact on the affected families could not be overlooked.

“Regardless of the legal issues involved, today’s event has left several Jamaican families displaced,” he said, adding that the elected representative has a duty to “ensure that those affected receive fair treatment and the necessary assistance”.

Trelawny Northern Member of Parliament Tova Hamilton, who also visited the site, promised assistance for the affected families.

Meanwhile, the occupants of 40 houses left standing on the property are now uneasy as they were warned by the demolition team that it would return to complete the exercise and clear the entire property.

editorial@gleanerjm.com