- Commissioner
Teenagers in Jamaica are featuring prominently in the murders that have been taking place in the country.
According to Commissioner of Police, Francis Forbes, between 1999 and 2001, about 11 per cent or 400 of the persons arrested for murder were under the age of 20 years. For that same period, 14 per cent or approximately 439 persons arrested for shooting were also under the age of 20 years.
"Too many of our teenagers are firing guns and too many of them are dying or ending up in prison," Mr. Forbes said. He estimated that around 99 per cent of these young victims were males.
The Commissioner was speaking at a graduation exercise on Thursday, at the Denham Town High School in West Kingston. Some 172 students took part in the graduation exercise.
He pointed out that many of the social institutions have failed, adding that the result of this was "under socialisation" or young people being socialised in the wrong direction.
The Commissioner explained that the young people would require timely and positive intervention to equip them with life skills, so that they could become productive adults.
Mr. Forbes urged the graduates "to choose carefully, the road that you take in life".
In his message to the graduates, Opposition Leader and Member of Parliament for the area, Edward Seaga, encouraged the students to reflect on the successful people that have emerged from inner-city communities.
He pointed out that many great Jamaican footballers and famous singers and musicians such as Jimmy Cliff, Ken Boothe, Marcia Griffiths, Prince Buster, Toots and the Maytals and Bob Marley came from the surrounding areas. "There is no little country anywhere in the world that has made the impact on music worldwide that Jamaica has." Mr. Seaga said.
The Opposition Leader noted that academically, West Kingston has produced doctors, architects, business managers, teachers and nurses, among others.
However, he lamented that as many as 30 per cent of students entering Denham Town High School were unable to read. He commended the school for tackling the problem by introducing a reading laboratory.
Mr. Seaga argued that poor schools should receive the same financing as schools in "up-town" areas, as poorly financed inner-city schools "is a sure formula that poor people will continue to be poor".
He urged the graduates to be disciplined, adding that skill without discipline would not bring success.
Principal of the school, Clover Thompson, said that despite the challenges of indiscipline, insufficient equipment and financing, the students achieved a 100 per cent pass rate in principles of business, accounts, information technology, cosmetology and visual arts in the CXC examinations.
