Greenwich Farm marks nearly two years without murder as St. Andrew South reports major crime drop

Greenwich Farm in the St. Andrew South Police Division is approaching two years without a recorded murder, a milestone officials say reflects wider gains in reducing major crimes across the division.

Senior Superintendent of Police Damian Manderson, the division’s commanding officer, said the community’s Zone of Special Operation began on 1 July 2020. Since then, officers have applied a clear, hold, and build strategy—first securing the area and removing gangs and illegal firearms, then deepening work with residents and partners including the Ministry of National Security, social development agencies, and local community groups.

Manderson said patrols are no longer limited to passing through streets. Officers are required to stop, speak with residents, and take part in meetings aimed at bridging divisions. That visible partnership, he added, reassured law-abiding citizens while signalling to offenders that the police and community were aligned.

Stakeholders have been involved in nearly every initiative, Manderson said. Pastors, justices of the peace, civic groups, the Greenwich Farm Football Club, and political representatives all contributed when community leaders called for stronger action against violence.

Looking ahead, he identified a key risk: residents who left during earlier conflict—through imprisonment, migration, or displacement—returning with the intent to resume criminal activity. The division monitors prison releases through official gazettes and maintains close contact with residents to track who has returned.

Manderson said the aim is for anyone seeking to re-establish gangs or gun- and drug-running to find a community united against crime. Youth clubs, a community development committee, and ongoing resilience projects are meant to sustain the gains.

Deputy Superintendent Paul Bennett, Zone One commander, said robust ground operations and engagement with residents—including activities such as dominoes and card games with young people—helped drive down serious crime.

Inspector Evette Vassell, who works daily in Greenwich Farm, cited proactive policing, conflict resolution, and early handling of threats. She said residents now move more freely between lower and upper sections of the community, reflecting broader unity behind the results.