Monday, November 06, 2017
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| The late Corporal Melvin Smith “loved people” |
Mandeville , Manchester — Parking spaces disappeared and traffic slowed to a snail's crawl.
But the inconvenience was less than a footnote, as a large crowd converged on the Cecil Charlton Park in the centre of Mandeville last Thursday to pay respects to a hero, gone too soon, a victim of mindless criminals.
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| Valerie Smith, widow of Corporal Melvin Smith, is comforted by a relative |
Corporal Melvin Smith of the Community Safety and Security Branch in the Manchester Police Division — arguably the most loved lawman of recent memory in these parts — was shot dead in Mandeville while trying to thwart a robbery on the night of October 27.
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| Even the very young ones were there to pay their respects |
Last Thursday's function, a tributes forum and prayer service, organised by the Northern Caribbean University (NCU) in collaboration with private and public entities, started sometime after 3:00 pm and lasted until long after dark. People from every walk of life, speaking from the podium, as well as in private, remembered a policeman who was always smiling and always trying to help others.
Corporal Smith's widow Valerie, his 11-year-old daughter Rheana, his mother Olive Smith, brother Ronald, and other relatives were among those listening as the tributes poured. more
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