By Rasbert Turner, Gleaner WriterBUSINESSES IN the Old Capital, Spanish Town, have seen some 30 per cent decline since the start of the year owing to crime and violence in the area. Many have been forced to pull down shutters at the order of criminals and the level of fear among customers and business persons alike has risen beyond which they can cope.
The straw which broke the camel's back landed last week with the shooting death of a businessman and a teenage girl in the heart of the town.
SENDING A STRONG MESSAGE
So, the business community in Spanish Town is fighting back. On Thursday, the first punch will be the pulling down of their shutters, aimed at sending a strong message to the perpetrators of crime and violence that business persons would no longer bow to the reign of terror.
In an interview with The Sunday Gleaner, Mark Myers, third vice-president of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, is supporting the shutdown. Mr. Myers, who is also chairman of Restaurants of Jamaica, operators of Kentucky Fried Chicken, stated that the Spanish Town business has taken a 30 per cent nose dive.
He explained that while no direct act of violence has been committed against the KFC store, the decline in sales is due to earlier closing hours during the upsurge of the violence which resulted in low staff turn-out and persons staying away from the business place.
STOP BLOOD-LETTING
"We did it in Kingston some years ago and it worked. With a decline in business and the need to stop the blood-letting then a strong message need to be sent."
Murders and other heinous crime cannot be allowed to continue, he stated, and although a lockdown might not end all this, it's a way to start.
The Sunday Gleaner spoke with several business operators such as supermarkets, pharmacies and garages and the consensus is that violence is having a crippling effect on business. Most are willing to do whatever it takes to bring calm to the Old Capital.
Informal business operators such as street vendors say they were not contacted and were taking a wait and see attitude.
"Bwoy a wonda if dat a go work, anyway mi jus' a wait and see as nobody nuh really contact wi yet," one vendor said.
Others were quick to point out that the lockdown might be ill-timed as school is just reopening and it will be disruptive to the educational process.
MILITARY BASE
In an interview with The Sunday Gleaner, Spanish Town Mayor, Dr. Raymoth Notice, said that the Chamber of Commerce's call for a military base and cordon and search is something that he has requested in the past. He is now willing to work with the Chamber of Commerce.
"By any means necessary, the guns must come off the streets as the killing must be stopped," Mayor Notice said.
The police in Spanish Town told The Sunday Gleaner that they will continue to work in the Old Capital and will do the same come Thursday.
The pending shutdown is as a result of a crime and violence emergency meeting held on Thursday, September 2, at Arians Restaurant in Spanish Town, where members of the St. Catherine Chamber of Commerce and Industry voted that a lockdown would be the way to go come next Thursday.
The banking community is to meet tomorrow to decide what action to take on the matter.
