'We're afraid' Can the tide be turned on surging gang crime?

The Operation Restoration Christian school sits amid a line of patched-up housing blocks and streetside cookshops in Trench Town.

- Natricia Duncan and Anthony Lugg KINGSTON

In an area known as one of Kingston's inner-city crime hotspots, it was founded as a haven for children caught up in gang violence.

Inside, smartly-dressed pupils sit chatting in groups. The classrooms are adorned with images of Jamaican heroes, such as Marcus Garvey and past prime ministers - a reminder to the children, says the principal, Robert Dixon, of what they might accomplish.

But outside the school walls, the stark reality of crime and poverty is clear. Modest, colourfully painted houses are secured by burglar bars.

Along the road are makeshift speed bumps, constructed by locals to prevent drive-by shootings. Some streets detour into an intricate maze of alleys. Originally created as shortcuts, such "chappies" or "trappies" are often used by people running from the police.

On a recent afternoon, a line of army vehicles had pulled up near the school. Two soldiers stood at the entrance of a house, rifles held across their chests, as angry neighbours shouted and filmed them with their mobiles.