Residents can Go About Their Normal Business – Commissioner

Commissioner of Police, Owen Ellington, says the situation in Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town, in Western Kingston, has stabilised sufficiently for residents to go about their normal business, following operations in the area by the Security Forces.
He was speaking to JIS News on May 30, at the end of a tour of the area by senior members of the security forces, headed by the Commissioner and Chief of Defence Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), Major General Stewart Saunders.
“We continue to impose curfews at nights, but we have made arrangements for citizens who have to travel in and out of the community during curfew hours, to get authorisation from the police,” the Commissioner said.
In addition, Mr. Ellington pointed out that an office of the Public Defender had been set up in the area to hear residents’ complaints.

Commissioner of Police, Owen Wellington (centre), listens to residents of Tivoli Gardens during a tour of the area on May 30. Behind the Commissioner (finger raised) is Chief of Defence Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), Major General Stewart Saunders.

“We have established an office in the community centre (in Tivoli Gardens), where the Police Complaints Division has already deployed staff. Citizens who have complaints about the police can go there. At the same time, they can get written authorisation from the police at that office if they have to travel in and out of the community during curfew hours,” the Commissioner added.
He said that the security forces, particularly the police, will be in the area for a while, as they seek to stabilise the area and impose the rule of law.
“It’s going to be a long journey for members of the security forces. Having stabilised the situation, we intend to transition to a normal situation where we can have community based policing taking place in Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town,” the Commissioner said.
He urged members of both the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the JDF to exercise professionalism in their dealings with members of the public, and reminded them that they should not react in like manner when they are provoked or abused by members of the public.
“Remain disciplined and professional, as this will help to ensure success in this mission,” he added.
In the meantime, Major General Saunders has called the tour of Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town a useful exercise.
“The tour that we did was a very useful one. We have had an opportunity to go on the ground and interact with the people and to hear from them, firsthand, what their problems are and their versions of how the operation went,” he told JIS News.
Mr. Saunders said the team has garnered valuable information from the citizens. “Where there are genuine complaints, we have sent them to the office of the Public Defender for them to lodge their complaints and then we will take it from there,” he added.