Time for renewal on Darling Street
Published:Friday | August 27, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer
The torched police station at Darling Street, in the heart of the downtown commercial district, nudged painful memories of the bloody unrest three months ago that left the symbol of law and order blackened and deserted.
The picture of desolation has become an unwelcome backdrop to the daily throb of commercial activities in the area - but not for long.
In the midst of the painful memories, hope blossomed yesterday as the seed of kindness was planted by three prominent members of the private sector.
Their total donation of $6 million will go a far way in rebuilding the Darling Street Police Station.
Prime Minister Bruce Golding captured the mood of the day when he pronounced "rehabilitation, redemption and rebuilding" on not only the police station, but other sections of the community that collapsed under the pressure of the unrest.
The town centre was its usual fascinating contrast to that fateful day when the police station went up in smoke as curious members of the public assembled to observe government and private-sector leaders, as well as senior police officials.
Forging ahead
Golding, the member of parliament for west Kingston, characterised the philanthropy of the corporate sponsors - the National Commercial Bank (NCB), LIME and Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) - as symbolic of the partnerships on which Jamaica will have to depend to forge ahead.
The sponsor representatives, led by initiator, NCB Group Managing Director Patrick Hylton, presented three cheques, valued at $2 million each.
Golding said the $6 million would not cover the full cost of the rehabilitation bill, but declared the contribution signalled that the process of transition and transformation was taking place all across the community.
He referred to Digicel's willingness to pump significant funds into the rebuilding of the Coronation Market, which was also gutted during the mayhem, as another indication of what was taking place in the community.
The prime minister said the donations represented a welcome appreciation of the fact that security was needed over the long haul.
He grabbed the opportunity to commend the members of the security forces for their work in reducing the crime levels over the past three months.
Golding noted, however, that while crime had reached the level of 140 murders monthly, the new rate of between 80 and 90 killings each month must be contained.
"We are still a far way from what we consider to be a tolerable level of crime; the Darling Street Police Station will play its role in this effort," Golding declared.
Dawn of a new day
The prime minister said the police station, along with the plethora of others nearby, was necessary because of the peculiarity of the area as the most massive meeting point in the island.
Hylton declared that the event signalled the dawn of a new day and that his bank had helped to put the unfortunate unrest in the deep recesses of the past and support the security forces as they embark on securing the well-being of Jamaicans.
"NCB could not allow this to be a lasting image of Darling Street," he declared.
Garfield Sinclair, managing director of LIME customer segment, characterised NCB's lead role as visionary.
"The horrific image of Darling Street showed Jamaica at its worst but, the barrel of contradictions that we are today, we are seeing the best of Jamaica," Sinclair said.
He said LIME had joined on the effort "to restore the lives of the brave men and women of the Jamaica Constabulary Force", even as a handful of uniformed officers watched the proceedings with stoic expressions.
Sinclair was supported by chairman of SVL, Paul Hoo.
"Crime fighting in Jamaica is not exactly as it is all over the world. In Jamaica, it is war. Anything that the private sector can do to make a difference is welcome."