SOME?RESIDENTS OF GALL Hill, Christ Church, are very upset over the cutting down of trees by personnel from the Ministry of Transport and Works on Thursday.
They told the SATURDAY SUN during a police community patrol yesterday that the trees provided shade, limes and dunks for the community.
They also said that a .22 pistol and drugs found by police were in bushes elsewhere – not under the trees.
“I want to know why they cut my fruit trees,” Donna Johnson complained. “It was a lime tree, where we used to get limes when we fry fish, and a ‘dunks’ and an almond tree, which the children picked.
It was a place where we used to meet and foster community spirit.”
Dale Francis, referring to yesterday’s police visit, said: “What is happening now should have been done yesterday [Thursday] but first they cut the tree then come here talking.”
Sherma George said she too did not think the action was fair, adding the police were not bringing the community together but rather breaking it apart.
“Here belongs to us but now we don’t feel so. There are young boys coming from all round doing things here but we are the ones being made uncomfortable,” she said.
George said if the authorities were interested in addressing crime in the area, they should debush it or erect fencing, but should not cut down community trees.
A police officer stationed in the police community bus which was parked in the spot where the trees stood, said the trees were on Government land.
When a team from the Ministry of Transport and Works went to cut down the trees in response to certain complaints they were met with verbal abuse.
As a result the police were called in. (CA)
