St Catherine communities reduce crime through Hawkeye partnership
RESIDENTS OF New Harbour Village II and III in St Catherine now enjoy greater peace of mind and sense of security as a result of a partnership established with security services provider Hawkeye.
“Before Hawkeye came into our community, we were plagued with break-ins and theft,” said Delores Mollison, chairman of the New Harbour Village board of directors and president of New Harbour Village II.
“Since October 2016, with the assistance of Hawkeye, these incidents are now rare and community members are able to feel comfortable in their homes and go about their lives with less anxiety about their safety and security.”
More than 2,000 homes make up the communities of New Harbour Village II and III. Despite being gated communities, threats to the residents’ security were an unfortunate reality.
“The community is surrounded by large, unoccupied lands and a farm adjoining the community. Even with the perimeter wall around the community, these enabled criminal elements to have easy access to our community,” Mollison said.
Hawkeye has worked with the leadership of the communities to develop and implement a comprehensive programme to enhance the security of individual homes and the community as a whole to include access control comprising security guards manning the gates at Village III as well as installing state-of-the-art electronic gate and barriers.
“Once we recognised the challenges the communities were experiencing, we worked with the leadership to develop and implement a comprehensive programme of security solutions which work together to deliver the peace of mind that every Jamaican has a right to enjoy,” explained Twitty-Ann Thomas, general manager, group sales, marketing and client care at Hawkeye.
“At Hawkeye, we are guided by our mission to enable Jamaicans to protect what matters most. The safety and security of our families and our homes is everyone’s first priority,” she added.
Residents at New Harbour Village now have Hawkeye’s electronic security systems installed in their homes. Hawkeye has established response bases inside the communities and security teams are present, doing frequent patrols around the community.
Hawkeye has also assisted the communities by installing safety signs and speed bumps. The partnership extends beyond just the community’s physical security as Hawkeye also supports the community homework centre and library, provides scholarships for students from the communities and a 5K run, which is an activity that builds the community spirit while providing funds for other development projects.