By Dwayne Mcleod, STAR Writer

Residents from the normally quiet community of Vineyard Town, east Kingston, are now living in fear after several recent robbery incidents.

In the last two weeks, residents claim, that for some reason or another, they have been at the mercy of armed robbers from neighbouring communities.

One resident said that they have being walking in fear and watching their backs. "Di bway dem have di place a way, wi cyaa walk in peace a night time. Dem a try tief car, dem a hol up man an woman, dem a jump people fence a night time, all sort a tings,"he said.

Another resident who claims to be a victim of one of the robberies told THE STAR that she was punched in the face and robbed of her cellphone after she disagreed to hand over the device.

But despite the residents' claims however DSP Michael Ellis, head of crime for the Eastern Kingston division, says that there is not a increase in robberies. He said that based on crime records there has been only one or two reported robberies but not enough to say there is an increase.

"For us to say there has been an increase means we would have to compare it to previous times, and there has only been few cases as of late," he said.

Nevertheless, residents are still firm in their belief that they are being targeted. "Police can sey anyting dem waa sey, jus tru it nuh report mean seh it naw gwaan?" the resident questioned. "Since dem naw go do nuttin, mi affi defen myself, dats why mi nuh lef my choppa enu."