Life Yard hopes to breathe again with ZOSO

Romaine Allen, one of the founders of Life Yard on Fleet Street in Parade Gardens, central Kingston, said Sunday's installation of a Zone of Special Operation (ZOSO) is a welcome change.

"There are two sides to a coin but it is never too late especially as it relates to the type of intervention that the community and the security forces have in mind. I know people are still going to be scared even with the police and soldiers presence but we are really receptive of them as we have always had a good relationship with them," he said.

Life Yard is the 'art' of Fleet Street and an eco-village, created in 2014 by Allen and a group of other young Rastafarians, the majority of whom hail from the community. They aim to provide positive role models and useful initiatives for residents.

Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson, who gave reasons for the ZOSO declaration, said the area recorded 79 murders in 2021, which is a 55 per cent increase when compared to 2020. The Kingston Central Police Division had the second highest increase in murders for the year. Allen said the flare-up of violence has affected the activities of the non-profit organisation.

"We along with other stakeholders and community members have been really having it hard as the crime combined with COVID has withheld us from engaging the youths with meaningful activities. There were persons and entities who got afraid of coming in because they were afraid. This has been happening even before it was disclosed on the news. There have been tragic incidents where children were being hurt in crossfires," he said.

Allen says that he strongly believes that the ZOSO will allow tourists to feel a sense of relief and very soon more persons will begin streaming into the community.

"For a while there has been little or no tourists coming in but we tried our best to still focus on community development. Our last set of activities was a collaborative effort with Supreme Ventures Foundation and we were supposed to have a project with UNICEF but it didn't happen because we had to pull out because of crime and violence. We were not able to guarantee the safety of persons coming in and out of the community," he said.

As Allen and fellow residents look towards better days for Fleet Street and surrounding communities, he is hoping for job opportunities for the youth.

"I just want to encourage my community members to continue to maintain the peace and not attract any unnecessary vibes or attention. We have a big unemployment issue as it relates to the youth. We as stakeholders would want to see a change even if it's for them to get a skill," he said.