St Catherine community establishes neighbourhood watch

A neighbourhood watch has been established in St John’s Heights, St Catherine, as part of efforts to strengthen community partnerships and encourage greater vigilance among residents.

The launch was held on Sunday, under the theme ‘Reviving Community Spirit, Reinforcing Community Safety’. President of the St John’s Heights Citizens Association, Yian Shettlewood, said the initiative reflects a renewed commitment to enhancing the safety, security and well-being of residents. He noted that the initiative is designed to strengthen relationships among residents while fostering closer collaboration with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

“We want to revive the spirit of togetherness, where neighbours know each other, look out for one another, support each other and take pride in the community we call home,” he stated. He outlined four key responsibilities for residents: to remain observant, communicate effectively, report suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities, and work together to enhance community safety.

“We are not the police officers, and we must never take the law into our own hands,” Shettlewood underscored.

Meanwhile, Head of the JCF’s Community Safety and Security Branch, Assistant Commissioner of Police Charmaine Shand, said community safety is a shared responsibility that requires strong collaboration between residents and the police.

“A truly safe community is built when residents know one another, when you care for each other, when you communicate with one another and stand together against the conditions that allow disorder and criminality to take root,” she emphasised.

Shand encouraged residents to support vulnerable individuals, particularly young people, and to help restore the values that contribute to strong and resilient communities. She emphasised that community safety must be advanced through lawful partnerships, crime prevention, information sharing and ongoing cooperation with the JCF.

“The police cannot be everywhere at every moment... so you will have to be our eyes and ears sometimes,” Shand said, adding that “a connected community possesses what may be called a powerful social intelligence”.

“Residents understand their environment… they recognise unusual activity. They identify emerging problems and often know when something simply does not belong. When that awareness is shared with the police, it strengthens our capacity to prevent crime and respond more effectively and protect the vulnerable,” she added.