Following Saturday night’s deadly shooting at Cemetery Street Extension in Diego Martin that left three dead, including a 15-year-old boy, residents are calling on elders in the community to “come out and help the youth.”
Another important factor they say is that people should turn to God and become more God-fearing.
Speaking with the Guardian Media during a visit yesterday, the concerns of residents in the hillside community were all similar as they said they wanted to see more police in the area as they fear there’s a reigniting of gang warfare in the area and its surroundings.
One woman alleged that people from various streets and areas are clashing against each other.
“Right now people at Dillon Street and Covigne Road on opposite sides to us are clashing but right there in the middle here at Cemetery Street.”
“We need to see police patrolling more in the area not only during the day but at nights too. I think the elders also need to come out and get together and help the youth, encourage them and motivate them to be positives and not leaning to crime because of the drugs and wanting to live that fast life earning quick money,” the woman added.
“People need God in their lives too. To be more God-conscious so you will stay away from the life of crime knowing what is right from what is wrong and what is of God from what’s not,” the woman said.
Another resident, a man, said he lived in the area all his life and admitted that he is very concerned about the upsurge in crime.
“Generally, this is a quiet area but the area becoming a hot spot again as violent gun violence is rising. The police is around as we see them but I think not often enough,” the resident said.
Saturday night’s victims were identified as Joseph Spring, 36, aka “Balls” of Upper Cemetery st extension Diego Martin; Kevin Kyle Spring, 15, a Form Two pupil of Tranquility Government Secondary School of LP 59 K-1 Upper Cemetery st Ext Diego Martin and Rondell John, 33, a labourer/farmer of No. 19C Waterman Road, Belmont.
