Police shut down demolition exercises at a shanty town in southwest New Providence on Tuesday after residents resisted asking for more time.
One resident, Natasha Pierre told ZNS News, “today they come, a month ago they give us a notice to move out.” She added, “they supposed to come yesterday or the day before to tell us just get ready to move out. They ain suppose to just come here this morning just to break them places down. Where they want us to go?”
Pierre admitted that notice was received of the demolition but reiterated that residents needed more time to find alternative living arrangements.
The eight acre property on Butler’s Way belongs to the Milo Butler Corporation. Attorney for the company, Dennis Williams, who was on the scene as the unregulated structures were being demolished said, “its a very unfortunate situation that did not develop over night but the law has to take its course. You can’t have persons living on land like that in a Commonwealth where other persons have to deal with obligations to stay on land.”
