Manchester business operators take issue with curfew

By Kimone Witter/Halshane Burke   

 

Stakeholders in Porus, Manchester have called for the police to show proof of the effectiveness of curfews that have been imposed to restore order and reduce criminal activities.

 

This follows a spate of murders in the community, late last year.

 

Residents and business operators, supported by their political representatives, have been complaining about the impact of the security measure on their livelihoods.

 

The Manchester Police organised a meeting at the Trinity Baptist Church in Porus on Wednesday to hear the concerns.

 

For attendees, the end of the curfews was foremost on their minds. 

 

"It nuh make no sense we have a curfew, because that means it is not intelligence driven. Because if it is intelligence driven, you must be making arrests, you understand? You must be prosecuting people. You must be bringing in the guns. And there is no report on guns being brought in," said one business operator, who suggested that the "curfew has no results; only the business people a suffer from it". 

 

Another business operator said she was having a hard time making ends meet. 

 

"There's a curfew from October til now. Check from October til now. From January til now I can't run a business because first thing, I go out and I make a pot a soup, it nuh sell, mi haffi dash it weh. What can I make from that when there is a curfew? Sometimes a after 6 [p.m.] mi get fi sell mi chicken and mi soup because persons on the road, probably you a come from work and you hungry. So...what can we small business make when there is a curfew in the area? Nobody can't come out come support we," she bemoaned. 

 

Operations Officer for Manchester Deputy Superintendent Luhas Daniels'  attempt at responding to the concern was rejected by residents, some of whom walked out of the meeting.