St. Martin’s State of Emergency worked, says Commissioner; Antelope Street next?

By Aaron Humes: The State of Emergency in the Lake Independence area ended on Monday with the more than 30 men detained released to their homes.

But after Tuesday night’s shooting of Dixson Ramirez on Pelican Street, some questioned whether it should have been extended.

But Commissioner of Police Chester Williams said investigation had found no connection between those detained under that measure and the alleged perpetrators of Tuesday night’s shooting. “Prior to these persons released yesterday there was a meeting held with them with different agencies including police and just to make sure that they were in a state of readiness to be released into the public. And we are optimistic that they are going to hold their corner at least for now…”

And, the Commissioner added, while it would be “unfair” to blame the detainees for what happened in Pelican Street, eagle eyes remain on them: “I said to the officer who attended the meeting with them that to convey that even though they are released now, if it is that they would want to start their foolishness again, I will be more than happy to write to the prime minister and request for them to be sent back to prison and if it is that were to happen, it will certainly be more than 30 days this time.”

The Commissioner added that those causing havoc in the Antelope Street area could be next in line: “You would know that the Antelope Extension area has been a problematic area for quite some time now and it is an area we are looking at seriously at, at this time. If it is that we need to invoke the SOE on them and send them away like what we did to those in the Martin’s area, then we will do so.”

On Monday, the Commissioner stated in an interview that the “LIU [Leadership Intervention Unit], the Human Development [Department], community rehab and a number of other organizations have been in dialogue working with these young men while in prison, all in an effort to try to see how they can resolve the ongoing tension between them. There is no intent at this time to extend the S.O.E. We believe that they have come to some resolution and we anticipate that with their release, things will continue as is.”

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