Do you know what it's like to have police patrolling your neighbourhood? Are you worried about what could happen when you walk down the street, or are your friends afraid to come to your house to visit?

Allanna Bean has had those very experiences and feelings ever since the recent shootings that have bombarded Court Street and its residents.

Allanna is a student who currently attends The Berkley Institute, and lives on Court Street, where some of the current gang activity and shootings took place.

Allanna is concerned about the current events, and thinks that the shootings are getting way out of hand. She believes that the gangs are getting off too easily. She believes that the wrong people are getting injured, and Allanna made it obvious that she thinks something must be done to stop these people: "What they're doing is very wrong. They should've thought twice about shooting anyone or even buying a gun in the first place."

When asked if she was worried about being safe in her neighborhood, Allanna stated that she was not overly concerned or panicked, but she made it clear that she had to be very cautious and alert when by herself.

"When you walk through Court Street you never know what could happen," she admitted. Allanna said that the topic of moving has been brought up in her family if the violence gets worse, but that for now she and her family are content about their current situation.

Of course, ever since the shootings, there have been some changes for Allanna. She explained that she's seeing a lot more police cars in the area, and that policemen and women appear to be patrolling the Court Street community more often. Allanna explained that while her friends' loyalty and opinion of her hasn't changed, some of them are afraid of going to Court Street, and one friend was even banned from going into that area altogether. A personal change Allanna noted was that she has learned to voice her opinions more, and has become a lot more outspoken.

Allanna explained that while she doesn't know all her neighbours on a personal level, most of the residents are friendly. She made it clear that while many people might think of Court Street as a bad neighbourhood, several people are quite polite. Allanna continued by saying that politeness is very common in the sense that people will always say "Good morning" or "Good afternoon" to the people that they see, no matter what the class of the person. "You grow up with what your mom taught you, and my mom taught me manners," she declared. Allanna also described the fun that she has at the holiday block parties, where everyone can be themselves.

While some people might have chosen crime as their lifestyle, and brought it into the Court Street area, Allanna believes that Court Street maintains a community of loving families and friends – just like any other neighbourhood in Bermuda.