CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

The door knocks, and JAMAL goes to open it. In front of him
is HAROLD POOLE JR. (early 60s), an unlikable resident on
Whitmore Street known for his outbursts and spiteful nature.
Racist, bigoted, sexist, prejudiced. HAROLD is considered
Public Enemy No.1 by majority of the neighbourhood, hated by
the young kids and ignored by the adults.
HAROLD is a war veteran suffering PTSD and anger issues: he
loves his country, ‘fighting’ what he feels isn’t right (90%
of the world today) and carrot soup. JAMAL stops HAROLD from
coming in, asking MICHELLE (in the other room) why HAROLD
has been invited to the meeting.

JAMAL
Yo, Auntie. Why’sthis snitch here?
HAROLD
Snitch? Shouldn’t you and your boyfriend be on duty “protecting us”
from the other crack boys down the road?
JAMAL
Harold, I promise you, on my mothers life. If you were 20 years
younger I would have f**cked you up.
HAROLD
But I’m not. You can’t. You won’t. Michelle invited me in. MOVE.
JAMAL
Suck your mum you zombie, you ain’t coming in.
MICHELLE leaves the living room to dissolve the brewing dispute
between JAMAL and HAROLD. The TWO stare at each other – all you can
see is hatred within JAMAL, and a menacing grin on HAROLD’s face.
Harold Poole Jr. is one of the main characters of Neighbourhood Watch.
Originally an antagonistic character, Harold is a founding member of the
Whitmore Crime Committee (also known as WCC or The Committee). A war
veteran, Harold is a hateful, racist pensioner living in Whitmore Street by
himself with Max, his Rottweiler. He is very disrespectful to the misfortunate,
disadvantaged and those who he feels isn’t worthy of ‘living’: once pretending
to be blind for several weeks, sending Max to attack and chase people.
Harold refers non-white people as “ethnic minorities” or “the coloured”: he is
disliked and hated by majority of the neighbourhood due to being openly racist
and sexist. His home is often targeted by kids who play pranks on him as
revenge for his nature and behaviour.