Sav mayor calls for ‘more love’ in Westmoreland

WESTERN BUREAU

Savanna-la-mar Mayor Danree Delancy, who also heads the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation, is calling on residents of the western parish to use the celebration of the nation’s 62nd anniversary of Independence as a catalyst to displace lawlessness with love.

Delancy, who was speaking at the parish’s Independence Civic Ceremony, in what was his maiden address as mayor, noted that while tremendous gains have been made over the past 62 years, persons were no longer ‘loving themselves and their neighbours’ as they did in the early years of independent Jamaica.

“We have lost a lot of love, and I want to say to us today, if nothing else, let us try and bring back the love among us,” urged Delancy, in reflecting on this year’s theme, ‘Jamaica 62: One Love ...To the World’.

“Let us try to be a more loving, and caring people. We have been there before, and we can get there again,” said Delancy, as he sought to evoke a spirit of patriotism among residents, including the uniformed groups, who formed a guard of honour saluting the nation’s Independence journey.

Delancy’s plea comes against the background of the Westmoreland Police Division’s report of having 63 of the recorded 195 murders committed in Area One of the Jamaica Constabulary Force since the start of the year.

In fact, only St James, with 82 murders, is ahead of Westmoreland. Hanover (36) and Trelawny (14) make up the overall tally.

Superintendent Othneil Dobson, the police commander for the parish, says that despite this, the police have been successful in removing over 30 illegal firearms from the hands of criminals since the start of the year.

According to Dobson, the weapons seized include seven high-powered assault rifles, which he noted has significantly weakened the notorious Kings Valley Gang, which has been locked in a bloody feud with the Ants Posse Gang for turf and the spoils of criminal activities in Grange Hill and surrounding communities.

Residents and community leaders shared that in former times, Westmoreland was a peaceful parish with awesome potential, especially with Negril emerging as a premier tourism destination. During the era when sugar cane production flourished in the parish, sports, especially football, created a bond among various communities.