Dock Yard Residents get an Audience  

By Deandrea Hamilton

And Wilkie Arthur

Editorial Team

#TurksandCaicos, September 2, 2023 – A Sunday morning church service on August 20 at Abundant Life Ministries International welcomed in his party, the Progressive National Party, for a time of thanksgiving and Christian worship, however, that quickly turned to an exposé styled sermon which demanded those who appeared to be lawless to be reined in by the Premier and his ministers who made up the PNP delegation.

“They walk around with their chest out, they walk around with their face made up and trying to put fear in you, said Bishop Williams, adding, “So Mr. Premier we got to get all hands on deck. We have to utilize the armoured trucks we put all this money in. We have to have a real talk with our police and if we have to bring in reinforcement, bring in reinforcement but we have to lock Dock Yard down.”

The preacher, known for his explosive style was outraged he said, that barriers were set up in the Dock Yard community, which has an infamous, even nefarious reputation as a haven for crime, criminals and undocumented Haitian migrants.

“No other government is run by the gangs and that same mentality is in the minds of those roaming around in our city, but I send a message from this place today, you are not going to have this one.”

Less than 24 hours after he delivered that fiery no fear warning to residents of Dock Yard, Bishop C Alexander Williams and Wilkie Arthur were walking and talking with the people who say the move was  meant to protect them from victimization and violence and also, misunderstood.

The duo accepted an olive branch from members of the Dock Yard community; Williams and Arthur talked to the men and women about alternative ways to getting heard and sending a strong clear message.

Bishop Williams challenged the group to change the narrative and seize the opportunity to alter the negative reputation.

Interesting to hear, that the blockade is not on government property; it is on private property.

The residents claim they are neglected with no proper government created roadways and other infrastructure including running water; that what the Bishop thought was a road through Dock Yard for motorists, is someone’s private land.

The residents say they are still forced to tote buckets of water from area wells in order to take a bath and are waiting for the day they will see a change in attitude in order to improve their living conditions.

Bishop Coletta Williams and Wilkie Arthur, on Monday, spent about five hours with those residents of Dock Yard who also exposed that they feel forsaken and unable to get city or government services into the area.

The Customs Department, they told Bishop Coletta Williams and Wilkie Arthur, does not come in to inspect their shipments for the stores which are legally licensed to operate.  Those speaking to the pair said ‘they have to work another arrangement so their goods are cleared.’

The residents, who spoken on the basis of anonymity explained they believe TCIG wants no part of the community, however, head of the newly established Informal Settlements Unit (ISU) Justice Carlos Simons KC says that is not true.

To the question put to him by Magnetic Media, in a press conference on August 22, asking whether or not there is a sincere interest to bring the area up to proper building and infrastructural codes, Mr. Simons said: “”The government desperately wants to do that. We don’t want people getting electricity by a plug-in from the neighbour, it’s unsafe. We don’t want people discharging raw sewage on the surface of the land or in wells that are then used for either washing or irrigating plants. It’s unsafe; it’s a pandemic waiting to happen. One outbreak of cholera, for example can ruin our tourism industry.”

Chiming in, Tito Lightbourne, the Permanent Secretary of the National Security Secretariat said  a survey which they commissioned for the Dock Yard Report revealed there are at least 3,000 people living in densely populated Dock Yard.

“…3000 people on 20 acres,” he explained.

Wilkie Arthur returned to the newsroom with a message, that the residents to whom he and the Bishop spoke were informed about the ISU; they were told it existed and wanted to support proper development in the area.  The group agreed to learn more about the role and function and opportunity the new ISU presented them.

The ISU, with its new office at No 20 and 22 at the Laporte’s Plaza, which is downtown Provo, said the time has come for an end to illegal settlements in the TCI and the Unit is committed to getting that job done in concert with community partners and residents.