CALM HAS returned to Kingston's troubled west end following several days of gun violence among rival gangs, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Edsell Scott.
The crime officer for the Kingston Western Police Division said yesterday that a strong detachment of police/military is at the Hannah Town Police Station and will remain there until the violence has subsided.
In a related development, the People's National Party (PNP) yesterday called a meeting involving residents of Hannah Town, Craig Town, and Jones Town, to iron out a plan to restore and maintain peace in the troubled Kingston communities.
A statement from the party's Region Three chairman Paul Burke, said the decision to convene the meeting was reached on Monday, and it was organised by Region Three and the South St. Andrew and West Kingston constituencies.
According to the release, the purpose of the meeting was to hear from residents, the state of affairs of their communities, continue dialogue and work towards peace in the general area. The meeting was scheduled for late yesterday afternoon at the Enid Anglin Centre in Craig Town.
Since Saturday, there have been numerous shootings in the Denham Town/Hannah Town border, and at least one man, a footballer, was shot dead before Saturday's flare-up. A strong detachment of police was put in the area to quell the disturbances and two men were shot and killed on Tuesday, while two other men were arrested and charged with gun-related offences.
On Tuesday, both Mr. Burke and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Councillor for the Tivoli Gardens Division Desmond McKenzie, said representatives from both parties have been meeting to prevent any uprisings in the Denham Town/Hannah Town area, following last month's slaying of Arnett Gardens' community leader William "Willie Haggart" Moore.
Both have agreed that the representatives on both sides have been sincere, but Mr. McKenzie said the faction in Hannah Town was derailing agreements made around the table.
