Greenwich Town loves ZOSO but wants more

Before last July, Owen Murray would not dare to venture outside of his home on Sixth Street in Greenwich Town, St Andrew, out of fear of being caught in a gun battle.

But since a zone of special operations (ZOSO) was declared in the Kingston 13 community, Murray, 45, said he can travel around freely and credits his safety to the various checkpoints.

"One of my relatives lose her house in a fire because of the gang war, suh mi glad it cool down now since the ZOSO. Right now mi can walk guh anywhere in the place now and nobody nah trouble mi. The soldier dem friendly and nice. Di place nice and a man can all come out a him house 3 a.m. and guh link him woman and nuh haffi feel fraid," he said.

The former fisherman, who lost his left leg in a 2018 accident, said he has had horrifying experiences with gang violence. He said he was shot on two different occasions and is still having side effects from one of the bullets that is lodged near his groin.

"Di first incident dem shoot after other people and mi get shot. The second time is when mi in mi wheelchair on Sixth Street and mi see some man a come suh mi shout out to the other man dem to alert dem and mi just hear a man say dem must put it on mi cuz a mi make di man dem know what a gwan. If mi wasn't there the man dem would dead but mi get shot because of it. A man like mi have to be happy for the ZOSO," he said.

Robust security approach

The ZOSO combines a robust security approach, led by police and soldiers, and a social intervention component that coordinates and implements social development measures by various agencies and the private sector. The social intervention committee is guided by a framework comprising of seven development areas, including human and community development and employment. THE STAR spoke to a few residents who said that while they welcome the peace, they are hoping that more can be done.

One resident who gave her name as Abbygale, said that the ZOSO did not stop the violence completely because that is up to the gangs to lay down their weapons.

"But what it does is to curb the war, so man nago make a step once they know that the police are there. I don't know if anything else is being done but so far I can only speak about the peace," she said. Tanya Dawkins of Fourth Street said she is hoping that the ZOSO will eventually provide job opportunities and skills training for the youth.

"Gang violence use to turn up before dem come here but now di place calm and we glad fi that but people need jobs, that is one of the biggest ting right now," she said.

Several activities are set to commence in this financial year in Greenwich Town. More than 70 households are expected to directly benefit from the zinc fence removal and substitution programme. The rehabilitation of small parks and green spaces is set to benefit 4,000 residents, with work scheduled to commence during the next 30 days. Recreation and education activities set for the summer remain in the design stage.