Martin HenryWE ARE in the midst of another anti-crime spasm of fear and verbal outpourings. This newspaper has deployed a rare page one editorial to address the matter and has devoted the front page to keeping the grim crime situation in the public eye for the last many days. The rest of the media is following where The Gleaner leads. There have been passionate outpourings on the talk shows.
Everybody has felt the dreadful hand of crime and violence, one way or another. We saw earlier this week the family of murdered businessman Patrick Chin in the media spotlight overcome with grief. The crime grief, from which there is no recovery time, cuts across all sectors of the society.
Who can forget those shocking media images a little while back of a woman wallowing in the blood of a fallen loved one downtown? More than 1,000 others have been killed since then, so we may well have forgotten as the river of blood sweeps us along.
Private sector leadership, from behind prison-like grills, barbed wire and an army of security guards at business places, is turning up the heat on a hapless Government. Butch Stewart, spurred on by the robbery of the Air Jamaica ticket office in Montego Bay, has told them to shape up or ship out, or else he is likely to ship out.
The Presidents Council of the PSOJ has called on "the Government of Jamaica to take immediate steps to bring crime under control" and on the Prime Minister "to take a comprehensive stand on crime now [since] the stopgap measures of the past have failed."
To soothe the rising public fear and anger, the Police Commissioner called a press conference to explain his failures, despite serious efforts. One hold-up is the unwillingness of a British supplier to supply to the police 500 guns which have been paid for because human rights groups have complained about the use of excessive force by the Police. The Minister of National Security, K.D. Knight is now mounting serious 'diplomatic efforts' to have the guns released.
Are the absent guns not another decoy? Are the police seriously short of arms to deal with crime? Is it guns that we need? And what about the weapons of the army which have been deployed in the latest joint police-military operation which the Prime Minister himself has vowed will not be withdrawn until the illegal guns are taken out of criminal hands? Isn't the Minister offering yet again the stopgap measure of shooting the gunmen down which has been demonstrated not to work, and which has badly tarnished the image of the police for allegedly using excessive force and killing innocent people?
We have had these spasms before. And this is not even our worst period of crime increase. People are laughing in the face of the Commissioner, a pained, bitter laugh, but the statistics are indeed showing some decreases in crime. Cold comfort in a high crime rate environment.
Previous spasms have prompted studies and enquiries which have generated fat reports. Perhaps the one best known is the 1993 Report of the National Task Force on Crime, commonly referred to as the Wolfe Report after its chairman the Hon. Mr. Justice Lensley Wolfe who is now Chief Justice.
The Introduction to the Wolfe Report begins: "On the 18th November, 1992, the Honourable Prime Minister established a National Task Force on Crime. The rationale for constituting the Task Force is set out hereunder:
Having regard to national concerns as to the prevailing levels of crime and violence, the deleterious effect of crime on the social order and its negative potential for economic development, a National Task Force is hereby constituted to advise on appropriate strategies consistent with the pursuit of justice, for the maintenance of Law and Order."
From the Preamble: "There were frequent upsurges of violent crimes -- between late 1991 and 1992. These upsurges of crime became a cause for grave concern. As a consequence of public concern, another Task Force on crime was established. This has been the usual pattern. No serious on-going plan to deal with crime exists.
"Successive Governments have always reacted to upsurges in violent crime, but the crime problem cannot be properly addressed by crisis intervention. This approach addresses symptoms rather than root causes. Crime control is more about people than about a system..."
The Task Force found that numerous studies have been done on crime and violence in Jamaica. Several reports have been written. [Ten were listed in the Wolfe report]. There is no lack of information on the subject. What has been lacking is the political will to implement the recommendations of previous Task Forces. With limited resources at their disposal successive Governments have failed to afford the problem of crime and the criminal justice system the priority they deserve.
Recruitment
and training
It cannot be denied that the Terms of Reference of all the bodies, set up thus far, bear a marked similarity.
Six of the 12 Terms of Reference of the Wolfe Report were:
1. To identify the main causes of crime in the nation and its prevalence in particular areas of the country.
2. To recommend measures likely to result in a substantial reduction of crime in the short and medium term and ensure its continued abatement in the long term.
3. To examine the existing structure, management, organisation, recruitment, training and disciplinary procedures and intelligence capability of the Security Forces and to recommend steps that can be taken to improve their efficiency, effectiveness and professionalism.
6. To submit proposals designed to foster harmonious relationships between the security forces and the public, especially at the community level and to promote public and community support for the security forces in the maintenance of law and order.
11. To recommend social and economic programmes, within the limits of available national resources, designed to reduce the inducement towards crime.
12. To contribute towards a national consensus which enables all sectors, organisations and law-abiding citizens to contribute in the fight against crime and violence.
"Throughout the length and breadth of Jamaica the concern was whether or not the Government would implement even a minority of the recommendations. The people have demonstrated the will to be involved in a meaningful way in any programme of implementation. The opportunity must be seized. To this end, we have included in this report proposals as to implementation."
It is the same Government, the same Prime Minister, the same Minister of National Security the same crime crisis, since 1992. It is time to dust off the Report of the National Task Force on Crime. Minister Knight and Commissioner Forbes are having trouble getting guns. The criminals have no trouble. Both men are explaining their difficulties and calling for suggestions.
We call upon the Government to frankly report actions taken, point by point, from the seven-year-old Wolfe Report and to offer clear commitments for further action now.
We don't need another study nor indeed more police guns to turn back the crime monster.
Martin Henry is a communications consultant.
