Executive director of Family Centre Martha Dismont has congratulated the Progressive Labour Party on its election win, saying “we have an opportunity here”.

Highlighting Wednesday night’s fatal shooting, Ms Dismont stressed there was still much work to be done.

In a statement released this afternoon, Ms Dismont said: “On behalf of Family Centre, I want to congratulate the PLP for its recent election win and for the commitment to making the necessary preparations for the work up ahead.

“As evidenced by the recent shooting, we are nowhere near the finish line of this work. A recent convening of agencies and young males, in dialogue about their needs and their hope for themselves, brought us closer to bridging the gap that exist in our community. In some respects, however, it still feels as if we have just started the race, due to the continued lag in providing resources on these difficult issues and inconsistent efforts.

“We have to speed up work that puts in place the solutions that will support our young men (and women). Whether it is a gang shooting, or a road fatality, or a domestic violence incident, our small community feels the impact of these situations on many levels. The difficulty of living in a small community where you know the victim’s family intimately is that friends, family and our community feel the effects.”

Ms Dismont added that the community must first deal effectively with the conditions causing these incidents.

“Some of those conditions, as we have learnt, are financial stressors, unaddressed trauma, lack of education, lack of life skills, lack of 21st century job skills.

“It is heartening to see the emphasis in the PLP platform on strengthening our social fibre but we also know that it is going to take a continuation of strong fiscal policies, balanced with taking care of our people. It is a very difficult task and, as many have already stated, and pledged, if we work together, much will be accomplished. This community is desperate for resolve to good ends, consistency, a focus on our youth and disenfranchised, and healing. My prayer is that we actually get on this path, and work together to stay there.”