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RESIDENTS of Pembroke Hall, St Andrew, are confident there will be a cutback in disputes and violent crimes with the presence of the restorative justice centre in the area.The centre was officially opened on Tuesday as part of activities for Restorative Justice Week 2022, being observed from January 30 to February 5.The centre, based at the Pembroke Hall community centre, was designed to deal with matters related to child diversion, restorative justice and dispute resolution, among other justice-related issues.Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, in his address at the ceremony, said the parish civil courts have had an average of 23,000 cases annually; family courts, an average of 21,000 cases annually; and criminal courts an average of 27,500 cases annually for the last six years."The courts cannot respond in a timely manner because they have so many cases coming there, and you will understand that it is a cycle. That is why the need for alternative dispute resolution is so urgent," he said.One resident, Alecia Jones, who welcomed the initiative, said it will help to clear up issues quickly instead of heading to the courts to have them resolved."We have so many disputes that people decide to use their own ways of solving them. Having this will help to lessen the violence and abuse we are facing now," Jones told the Jamaica Observer.Expressing her appreciation for the centre, another resident who opted not to be named shared a similar view."I feel good about it. I welcome this venture in this community, although this community is not as bad as other communities, like Maverley, in terms of crime. They say a stitch in time saves nine, so they could try and solve it here at the centre before it gets out of order," she said.Justice of the peace for the area, Thelma Broderick agreed."It is a good step in the right direction because we have been having a couple things happening like break-ins in the community and surrounding communities. There are a lot of things that are not solved by residents and so we have conflicts. This will assist us to speak up more," said Broderick.Reverend Claude Samuels of Pembroke Hall Methodist Church lauded the justice ministry for the centre and added, "I think it is a good initiative and all the stakeholders should really try to make it work. We should really set it up in all parishes. We have to move from the old time ways of doing things."Meanwhile, Minister of Finance and the Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke described the justice restorative centre as an economically feasible way of solving disputes."From my experience as a Member of Parliament, this is an absolutely necessary function. Too often we see disputes that lead to violence - and those which cause deaths, homicides, and murders - arising from disputes within families, disputes within communities, and disputes between neighbouring communities," said Clarke who represents the St Andrew North Western constituency.There are now 18 justice centres islandwide, of which eight offer restorative justice. The restorative justice centres form part of the Ministry of Justice's efforts to improve alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods.The justice ministry is looking to establish the next restorative justice centre in Greenwich Farm, St Andrew, in March.