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Holding his cell phone close to his ears and dancing to a dancehall mix coming from its speaker, an Ackee Walk resident grins and gives the news team a welcoming elbow bounce.

He has many reasons to dance and smile. Unlike a few months ago when the area was under siege due to the actions of criminals, Ackee Walk, a community located in the St Andrew North Police Division, is enjoying some respite. The guns have stopped barking and there is a fragile peace in the community, which is located off Molynes Road.

"One time gone mi couldn't out yah, because probably shot woulda lick mi weh," the man told THE STAR.

"No war nah gwan yah now, and everything cool fi couple weeks well, and mi like it."

Plagued by violence over the years, Ackee Walk was last year the scene of several shootings, some of which resulted in the loss of lives. This reality has not escaped residents, many of whom remain guarded, fearful that criminals could once again shatter the relative calm that exists.

"It calm yah now, but the next two weeks it may be a storm around here," one man said. "We still a look out a we eye dem. Everywhere, yuh have a time when the place quiet and a next time di people dem get mad."

Some business operators told THE STAR that they have been struggling to stay afloat due to the impact of crime on the community.

"Business slow down bad because we have to just depend on the people dem here to support we, and is not all of dem going to do it. No one nah come in here come do any business, because dem nuh wah buck up inna any war," a resident said.

Another said that he strongly believes that a revival of a youth and football club could assist in the transformation of the community. He took a jog down memory lane, stating that 30 years ago, Ackee Walk was a wonderful place to be.

"We did have a youth club, and di place was just nice and not about dirty living. Right now, nuh boat nah run again, and mi just nuh think di place a guh can get back normal. We just have to hope for the best, because people just nuh have nuh love in dem heart any more," he said.

The resident had barely finished talking when an angry man, with a chainsaw in hand, gave a demonstration of how difficult it is to resolve conflicts.

"Dem need fi stop ramp wid mi enuh, because mi will cut dem up wid mi saw and feed dem body to mi pig. Dem nuh know who dem a ramp with. Mi will make dog gnaw gnaw up dem body parts," he said angrily.

The need for conflict resolution skills was immediately highlighted.

"Uno see whe we a talk 'bout; mankind nuh have no love," a resident remarked.

Head of the St Andrew North Police Division, Senior Superintendent Aaron Fletcher, said the reigning peace is a collaborative effort between the political representatives, residents and the police.

"There are persons who want the peace and quiet and want to enjoy their homes, so they are persons who are having wholesome conversations. When there is active war in a community, there is a high police presence and it reassures the law-abiding citizens and acts as a deterrent for those persons who are involved in illicit activities," Fletcher said.