KINGSTON, Jamaica — A sweeping cleanup effort led by the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) is transforming some of the city’s most neglected spaces into safer, more accessible environments. The initiative is part of a broader campaign aimed not just at beautifying neighborhoods, but at addressing urgent public safety concerns.
At Tarrant Primary School, the removal of overgrown vegetation bordering the campus has significantly altered the security landscape. The school’s principal, Hadajah Freebourne-Raffington, expressed deep relief over the intervention.
“For months, we’ve had to contend with criminals using the bush cover to stalk the school perimeter. There were real fears for the safety of both our students and their families,” she said. “This cleanup wasn’t just about the aesthetics — it was a lifeline.”
The initiative, known as Clean-up Kingston, is targeting high-risk zones where unkempt lots and inaccessible roads have contributed to rising crime and fire hazards. KSAMC City Inspector Alrick Francis says community buy-in has been critical to the operation’s progress.
“We’re seeing residents step forward and support what we’re doing,” Francis noted. “In many of these areas, the state of the environment has been a public health and safety risk for years.”
He highlighted one such location along Thompson Boulevard in Waterhouse, where trash buildup and impassable roads recently delayed emergency response to a major fire.
“Solid Waste couldn’t get through. And when fire broke out, a home was lost because the truck couldn’t access the road — blocked entirely by garbage,” Francis recalled.
The cleanup effort is expanding across several corridors, including Bob Marley Boulevard in Cooreville Gardens. As each zone is cleared, residents are beginning to reclaim their communities — and KSAMC is making it clear: this isn’t a one-off fix, but a sustained push for cleaner, safer urban living.
