Residents of Risk Road, St James are claiming police harassment and are calling on their parliamentary representative Kerrie Symmonds to intervene on their behalf urgently.
They claim that over the past three weeks, police have visited the area almost nightly, harassing a group of young men they insisted are not troublemakers.
“We ain’t do not one thing so I don’t see why the police harassing we for nothing. All the things happening [in a nearby neighbourhood] and we getting blame for it, we getting beat bout for it and we getting we chairs mash up,” an upset Ramon Archer told Barbados TODAY.
“Every night them coming running we,” he said, as the residents claimed that police officers had destroyed a recreational area which was built for playing dominoes and hanging out in the area.
Another resident Antone Johnson said he could not understand why he and his neighbours could not hang out at nights and engage in wholesome activities without being disturbed by lawmen who find “nothing each time they come”.
Risk Road residents playing dominoes.
“Everywhere ain’t no nice, nice place but I guess since down here got a bad name already them just saying that everything that happen in St James happening in Risk Road. I does be out here on a night with the boys playing dominoes and writing songs and quick so police coming,” he said.
“Them talking about them gine burn the crates and people saying you can’t do that and them saying them could do whatever they want because them name police.”
Johnson’s mother, Juliette Prescod, who also voiced her concerns, said the matter was one which has left the elderly and children shaken and disturbed.
She indicated that it has also interrupted her sleep at night.
“My son does be up here and I got family that does be up here playing dominoes and them don’t get into no trouble. I don’t think that it is fair to them. All it doing is got me on a night can’t sleep because you wondering what going to happen to your child. What them want them to go and do? Thief? Nothing ain’t happening down here; go where it happening,” Prescod insisted.
When contacted last week, Police Public Relations Officer Inspector David Welch said he had not received any reports about harassment. However, he promised to look into the matter.
When contacted again earlier today, he said the matter was still being investigated.
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