Greenwich Farm celebrates zero murders in eight months

 

Residents of Greenwich Farm in St. Andrew are celebrating zero murders over the last eight months and have vowed to maintain the peace initiative which has brought renewed energy to the community.

 

According to the St. Andrew South Police, the community last recorded a murder on September 30, 2024.

 

A special football competition was held on Monday night to symbolise the commitment to unity, which saw hundreds of residents in attendance.

 

Superintendent Damion Manderson, Commanding Officer for the St. Andrew South Police Division, says the peace initiative has exceeded the expectations of the police.

 

"Every single day without violence inside this community is celebrated by not just us, but celebrated by the residents. They cheer it on, and every sign of [violence], they are the first to cry out to say no way, we will not have it here. And so we're on to something...as a community."

 

"You come here on a nightly basis and you will see the parties, you will see the get together, you'll see the camaraderie of persons. We had over a thousand people here parked along every single street and lane of Greenwich Farm. And I can ask you, how many vehicles have been broken into, how many police had to police it? None at all, because the citizens themselves are policing themselves. They are policing it to say, look here, we have no place for violence, we have no place for gangs and gangsters and therefore we're going to build our community. And that's what they're doing jointly with us," he touted. 

 

Police restrictions for parties and street dances have been relaxed. 

 

Resident Robert Dixon said the peace in Greenwich Farm has also been beneficial to other communities in the Kingston 13 area.

 

"As you know, violence been rocking the Kingston 13 area and so [for] the police to push on this initiative, it's a good look for the community and the wider Kingston 13 area in terms of unity. It was so bad kids have to be like, you go to school, you nuh on the road. Business has been affected tremendously. So it's a good look [that] the community is coming back, the business people is happy," said the resident.