Famed selector Fire Links seems to have become persona non grata in the eyes of the police in the Corporate Area...
News Source: Jamaica Star
The selector and his sound system have been banned from playing in at least three of six police divisions and there are no signs that the situation will change anytime soon.
"He has never complied with any of the laws, especially as it relates to the Noise Abatement Act," explained Victor Hinds, Deputy Superintendent in charge of Operations for St. Andrew North, one of the divisions where Fire Links has not been allowed to play. "When permission is granted in other divisions, he plays until morning light. There are also problems in other divisions and on that basis we have refused to grant him permission to play in our division."
The three divisions that have barred Fire Links include South St. Andrew, St. Andrew Central and St. Andrew North. The South St. Andrew Division which has headquarters at Hunt's Bay, posted a notice on one of the walls of the station saying the selector would not be considered for a permit to play anywhere in that division.
Oswald Ayres, Deputy Superintendent in charge of operations for South St. Andrew, said the selector had not applied for a permit to play in his division for a while but said that based on his track record it was unlikely that Fire Links would be given a permit to play.
"Between August and November of last year, there were about four incidents at dances where Fire Links has played," DSP Ayres said. "About three of these involved the attacking and damaging of police vehicles and there was one where a dance was shot up and 10 people were injured and one person died." DSP Ayres also said there were times when the sound system did not go through the correct process to get electricity and often breached the Night Noise law.
Sought permission
He went on to say, though, that he was not the final authority in granting permits to hold dances as there was a process of arbitration where the police looked at the crime situation in the area where the dance is being held. Additionally, he said the police looked at the area to see if there was any gang rivalry, or if there is any violence associated with the sound system, and if the sound system abided by the law.
Daisy Martin who handles the bookings for the selector said she has heard of the ban. She was clueless why this stand has been taken against Fire Links. "That's what I heard. There are times when people make bookings and we have to refund them their money because the police would not grant them permission. The other day some people in Papine made a booking and when they sought permission it was not granted so we had to refund the money," she revealed.
She said on several occasions she has had bookings to play in the Kingston 10, 11 and 13 areas but has had to postpone them because the police refused to grant permission. Kingston 10 and Papine fall within the jurisdiction of the St. Andrew Central police while Kingston 11 and Kingston 13 fall within the aegis of St. Andrew South.
Last year some equipment belonging to Fire Links was seized by the St. Andrew Central Police during the popular Hot Mondays series. The selector was later fined $4,000 when he appeared before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court where he pleaded guilty to breaches of the Noise Abatement Act. Efforts made to contact Fire Links proved unsuccessful as he was said to be off the island.
