Gang war hurting the church, says Manchester pastor

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — The leader of a church in the now-troubled community of Broadleaf, which borders crime hotspots including Comfort, says an ongoing feud among gangsters is crippling the church’s activities in this parish, particularly night services. Bishop at the Broadleaf Church of God, Calbert Spence, made the disclosure on Monday during the Manchester Peace Coalition’s (MPC) World Peace Day celebration in Mandeville. The event was part of a week of activities, including a 5K Run and Walk fund-raiser planned for Sunday to raise funds for Mandeville Regional Hospital’s urology unit.

“I represent the community of Comfort and it is currently under curfew. On a daily basis our main challenge has to do with gang warfare. The truth is as a community we are unable to have night services from about March of this year.

Because even with the planning of crusades and road marches, we are unable to get the go-ahead from the police. Based on the intelligence that they have we have not been permitted to [host events],” said the bishop. Spence, who was among a panel of community leaders and students participating in the event, pointed to the impact of the lockdown measures on night life, including that of the church.

The audience at the Manchester Peace Coalition’s World Peace Day celebration at Golf View Hotel in Mandeville on Monday. (Photo: Kasey Williams) “On weekends, it is early lockdown, any time after 6:00 pm. You might be able to go up to about 8:00 pm or 9:00 pm during the week, but from Friday to Sunday the area is under curfew,” he said.

He told his audience that the area is so tense that residents are on edge. “It is gang-related, where the youngsters are at war with each other, so I think at any moment you might just get the information that someone is killed,” Spence said. Leader of the Broadleaf Police Youth Club, Constable Tamecia Scott, said community policing is being utilised in communities such as Broadleaf and Comfort.

“One of the things that the Jamaica Constabulary Force is doing is to be more involved in the community and establish police youth clubs and neighbourhood watches. Those are what we use to target and build a safer community, because once we establish police youth clubs and neighbourhood watches, we get the community members together. Being a part of a community club will give young people a sense …