Norwood welcomes ZOSO

Jane*, who has been living in the volatile Norwood community in St James for more than 25 years, said that it is time for people to start living without the fear.

"Mi cyah tek it no more; night and day people affi a look over dem shoulder because dem just no know wah ago happen next. How people fi a live so? A long time something like this fi gwan," she said. Jane was reacting to news that the community is the latest zone of special of operations (ZOSO). This was announced by Prime Minister Andrew Holness during a press conference yesterday. According to Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson, 66 murders have been recorded in Norwood since 2019.

The most recent murder took place last Friday in a section of the community called Church Lane, where a young man, who hails from nearby Hugga Lane, was shot and killed.

The police reported that shortly after 5 p.m., the man was walking along a section of Church Lane, when he was ambushed and shot to death by armed men.

Residents in Norwood told THE STAR that men from Hugga Lane have been at war with men from Church Lane over the recent months, and since then several young men from the community have been killed senselessly, and several others shot and injured. Norwood is currently under curfew until Tuesday. Head of the police's Corporate Communications Unit, Senior Superintendent Stephanie Lindsay, said the security forces were trying to restore some order to the community.

"Over time we have seen an increase in gang warfare, incidents of shooting and violence and some not respecting the rule of law and the safety of persons. So it was necessary for the security forces to have their presence here," she said. "We are now setting up, making sure that all the security checkpoints are manned."

Meanwhile, former president of the Montego Bay Chambers of Commerce Dr Lee Bailey has welcomed the ZOSO.

"I am fully behind the prime minister on this because it cannot continue this way. I believe that more needs to be done simultaneously; it can't be just for that area because something is going on that I don't understand and I have been living in Montego Bay for a very long time. Why is it that they (criminals) are able to elude so many soldiers and police? I think the Government must set some very serious applications and show some power of both military and police force in that area," Bailey told THE STAR.

"Are we going to have soldiers on the road for the rest of our lives? We need to send a drastic and clear message to these people. The soldiers are there to support the police but they need to send some really serious numbers of people and send a message that they have the firepower and men to deal with the matter," he added.

Bailey said that if nothing is done, there could be massive economical fallout from the crime and violence plaguing the parish particularly in the tourism sector.

*Name changed to protect identity