Residents of West Kingston have been making use of the temporary police complaints office set up at the Tivoli Gardens Community Centre.

Head of the department, Deputy Superintendent Oberlene Smith-Whyte, said to date some 100 complaints have been received. "People are always coming in," Smith-Whyte said, "we would be here all night if we did not close off at a certain point."

Ninety per cent of the complaints received are about missing or damaged property. Most complainants are women.

Apart from residents, the centre has also processed complaints from vendors whose properties were destroyed in the fire that gutted a section of the Coronation Market.

DSP Smith-Whyte is advising residents that the centre is open and will remain open for as long there is a need. She urges residents to continue coming forward, and wants to assure them that although the office is manned by police officers, they will record and investigate complaints with the highest level of professionalism and impartiality.

The deputy superintendent is asking residents who have made complaints to be patient. She said members of the force do understand that residents may be anxious to have redress, but she explained that the road to redress may require the coordinated effort of many agencies, and this will take time to organise.