A wave of gratitude swept through Tarrant Primary School this week after the Kingston & St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) cut back overgrown vegetation that had long provided cover for criminals outside the school’s gates.
Principal Hadajah Freebourne-Raffington said the dense foliage had allowed bike-riding thieves to ambush parents and pupils, turning daily drop-off into a nerve-racking ordeal. “Friday we were ready to pay out of pocket and do it ourselves,” she admitted. “Seeing the city show up first was a huge relief for every family here.”
The work forms part of the Clean-Up Kingston Initiative, a citywide push that tackles litter, illegal dumps and neglected lots. City inspector Alrick Francis, surveying a separate clean-up on Thompson Boulevard in Waterhouse, stressed that tidiness and public safety go hand in hand. “When roads are blocked by trash or bush, fire trucks and garbage units can’t get in. We already lost a home to flames here because engines couldn’t squeeze past the debris,” he said.
KSAMC records show the Tarrant lot’s private owner had been cited repeatedly for non-compliance before the city intervened. Similar operations have already brightened Bob Marley Boulevard in Cooreville Gardens and other corridors marked as high-risk.
Francis said residents have begun pitching in alongside the municipal crews. “People want their streets safe. Once they see quick results, they’re more willing to keep the area clear,” he added.
For Tarrant Primary, the payoff is immediate: clearer sightlines, freer sidewalks and calmer parents. As Freebourne-Raffington put it, “Clean grounds mean we can focus on learning instead of looking over our shoulders.”
