Vendors, taxi and Coaster bus operators in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew are calling for a better targeted approach in the area as they believe police personnel are not doing an effective job at tackling crime.

Instead, they have labelled them as ticket officers, harassing drivers traversing the area.

Our Today visited Half-Way tree on Wednesday (September 14) to get the perspectives of these persons on the increased presence and performance of police personnel in the area.

The discussions brought to life concerns about safety in Half-Way Tree with mixed feeling around the topic.

While speaking with Our Today, Coaster driver Raymond Freeman shared that he welcomes the increased presence of police personnel.

“It’s a welcomed addition to Half-Way Tree because crime and violence is going away. Being an operator of transportation, usually you would think that police officers are going to ticket us, but I don’t see that happening,” said Freeman.

He added that the police are keeping the peace in the area but they need to have patrols instead of staying at the stoplight.

Another operator, Odain Chambers, shared the same sentiment.

“A man just see police, them know seh alright then police deh up deh suh them nah go drive deh suh. Or, them nah guh walk with that and them nah go deh suh so it help.”

However, this view is not shared by everyone in the area as some persons are calling for police to play a more active role in tackling crime.

Our Today understands that the police stationed in Half-Way Tree are there to prevent traffic build ups and not to tackle crime.

But, petitions are being made for this to change.

“Last time mi see them rob a likkle old woman and a three-loader man run him down go inna the park and catch him and police deh right deh suh a write taxi man ticket. Them nuh make nuh sense,” shared a disgruntled taxi operator.

He added that something needs to be done to solve this as the taxi and loader men cannot continue to do the job of the police.

“Them still nah stop the chain and the phone from a grab. ‘Cause them cah help that, them deh right deh suh and chain still a grab,” said another taxi operator who wished to remain anonymous.

He also recalled an incident where an elderly lady was robbed, receiving no assistance from police officers.

A loader man in the area also shared that, just a day earlier, a woman was robbed of her phone in Half-Way Tree and the police did nothing to assist.

“The police them nuh make nuh sense. The girl stand up and a bawl fi her phone and how much police just stand up. Most of them d’even have gun, suh me nuh see why them come out,” he added.

“I think if they put the police force more so on crime the country wudda run better. Because how much crime you can solve out here suh by writing taxi man ticket?” asked taxi operator Marlon Beckford.