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Residents in Clarendon are breathing a sigh of relief that a state of public emergency (SOE) has finally been announced for the parish.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness made the announcement yesterday at a press briefing. He said the SOE is expected to last initially for 14 days.

Clarendon has already recorded 100 murders since the start of the year, and the residents who spoke with THE WEEKEND STAR, said this crime-fighting measure is long overdue.

Mi feel free

"A good thing the Government a do, a long time dem shudda come. When mi fi go a wuk a mawning time, mi all fraid fi go out. Dem rob mi and gi mi gunshot already suh mi know what it is," said one resident from Web Lane, in Palmers Cross.

"Right now mi feel free. Mi can walk go church or anything now. This overdue, a suh it fi go, police fi inna di place," another resident said.

Ilin Williams, 72, of Sevens Road in Effortville, said she feels safer now that the SOE has come to the parish.

"There's a lot of things going on in the area; you're scared of going out in the streets because of the amount of shootings," she said.

Williams shared that two months ago, her neighbour was shot and killed in his home.

"I born and grow here, and we had nothing like this. We could walk on the streets, go to the cinema, come in like 1 or -2 o'clock, and the only thing yuh see on the road was dogs," she said.

Meanwhile, another resident who operates a bar in the community said how the security forces interact with the citizens is also crucial to the success of the SOE in stemming crime.

"Sometimes the police and soldier in a certain place and the disrespect start. So people just need to cooperate with the security forces because the crime situation is bad," he said.

He's hoping that the SOE would get rid of wanted men hiding in the parish.

A bar operator on Red Road, in Palmers Cross, told THE WEEKEND STAR that just two months ago, his cousin and a teenager were shot and killed in front of his bar.

He said he was prepared for any possible negative side effects of the SOE.

"Wi know it a go affect we as business people, but if a suh it haffi fi guh, a suh it haffi guh fi cool down crime, cause the crime rate hot," he said.