Police defend Standpipe curfew as residents mourn cost

HEAD of the St Andrew Central Police Division Superintendent Mark Harris is defending the imposition of curfew protocols in the eastern St Andrew community of Standpipe despite claims from residents that it is affecting their lives and livelihood. The protocol has been in place since late last month following the killing of the still-unidentified owner of a restaurant in the community who went by the alias Whappa. That was the second fatal incident in the Standpipe area in 72 hours, after 24-year-old Imani Richards was stabbed by an ex-girlfriend.

The police theorised that both incidents were related and immediately imposed a curfew in an attempt to prevent reprisals. “Standpipe was under curfew on three separate occasions, each occasion the period lasted 48 hours and was approved by the Minister of National Security [Dr Horace Chang],” Harris told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday. According to Harris, all the recent restrictions have been approved and the police are well within their rights to implement them.

“Curfew is imposed based on intelligence due to an increase in crimes, especially murders. This is one of the entrances to the eastern St Andrew community of Standpipe, where the police have imposed curfew protocols since late last month. “The area is not under constant curfew but it can be applied for at any time and implemented if approved, so the residents will be inconvenienced at times when a curfew is imposed.

“All residents are safer when a curfew is imposed in any community. The police and the community need to work together in partnership to prevent crimes and ultimately save lives,” added Harris. He told the Observer that while he understands the complaints of the residents he is urging them to cooperate with the police.

But the residents say they are struggling to adjust to this new normal which sees a ban on social events and the early closure of businesses in the usually vibrant community. “Things have slowed down since they killed the guy down there named Whoppa. Because of the curfew people hardly come out again.

Usually in the afternoon time is when I get most of my sales but everybody is afraid to come by this side now,” one shopkeeper told the Observer. According to the shopkeeper, the police are in the community daily dispersing large gatherings and telling small shop owners to close their establishments.