Hope for the Old Capital

Karen Sudu, Gleaner Writer

SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine:

In light of the recent incursion into Tivoli Gardens, Dennis Robotham, president of the St Catherine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, believes that now is the opportune time for authorities to take control and begin to dismantle the gangs in the Spanish Town area.

"If the trajectory that Tivoli has started can be continued and replicated, not in terms of the bodies but in terms of dismantling the garrisons and creating a new social atmosphere for people to strive and to work and give our people hope, then I believe we have begun a process," he told The Gleaner.

Lull for gangsters

While Robotham did not object to a state of emergency if war-ranted, he said he did not believe it was necessary for Spanish Town at this time.

"Overall, I think what is emerging is that since the advent of the soldiers and the police taking over Tivoli, I think it has impacted on our set of gangsters here. I think that they have retreated to some extent and there is a lull," he said.

Robotham was quick to point out, however, that there was a notable decline in activities in the business district in the Old Capital over the past two weeks as a result of the escalation of violence attri-buted to the Christopher 'Dudus' Coke saga.

At the same time, he asserted that although there had been sporadic outbreaks of violence prior to the recent disturbance, the impact on the business sector was not as devastating as in previous years.

"What has happened over the number of months is that the violence has raised its ugly head again, but this is more in the communities ... those inner-city communities where there seems to be gang-related situations.

"However, the business district where we used to have the conflict between the two sides, Klansman and One Order, we are not really having that scenario now where businesses are being closed on a regular basis because of that," Robotham added.

He suggested that the present downturn in criminal activities and current visible developments were signs of hope and expressed confidence that a bright future lay ahead for the country's first capital.

'The present downturn in criminal activities and current visible developments are signs of hope ... a bright future lies ahead for the country's first capital.'