With three recent murders being reported in adjoining communities near the Manchester-based Northern Caribbean University (NCU), a senior official of the tertiary institution has raised concerns that some students there are living in fear.
He said the situation is such that some students are afraid to venture out beyond 5pm or before sunrise daily.
The safety concerns of NCU students were divulged by Director of Campus Safety and Security at the university, Renox Seivwright, at a community meeting in Albion in the parish on Thursday.
Residents of Albion are also concerned about the level of serious crime in the community.
"Now it (the situation) is to the extent that many students are afraid to work beyond 5'oclock (in the evening) because we have a work-study programme, and they are afraid to (also) come out before sunrise," said Seivwright.
"It not only affects the work and study programme. There are general academic programmes, because even when the library is opened and we're planning to reopen until 10pm, they (the students) are not going to be there," he indicated.
The university's limited housing capacity is exacerbating the issue, according to Seivwright.
He elaborated that, "We find that we cannot house more than about 10 per cent of the student population on campus.
"So, essentially therefore, 90 per cent of our students are living elsewhere in the communities around (the university)," Seivwright informed.
Amid it all, Seivwright posed a critical question to residents of Albion and the surrounding communities.
"So, the big question is, 'What is Albion and the communities around going to do to give some assurances to NCU students that they can live freely?'"
Inspector Simon McCormack, the sub-officer in charge of the Mandeville Police Station, responded with some reassurance.
He said a crime reduction strategy is being implemented for the parish, and the police will not allow criminals "to hold the community hostage".
Further, the senior lawman expressed confidence in community support and continued collaboration with members of the political directorate in the parish.
"So, we are not here to spread doom and gloom, but Mr Mayor (Donovan Mitchell, Mayor of Mandeville), I know you are very supportive, (and) Miss Rhoda Crawford (Member of Parliament for Central Manchester), I've heard a lot of work you have done, (and) continue to spread that word because we can get the community back," McCormack asserted.
"We will get the community back one way or another..., because we have a crime reduction strategy for Manchester, and we not gonna see the steady increase in murders in Manchester," he declared.
"It's not gonna happen (the steady increase in murders) because we gonna get the support of the community," McCormack suggested.
