THE LEAD story in last Sunday's Gleaner reported that while police statistics are showing a reduction in most major crimes, the authorities are not jumping for joy. They had better not.
The murder rate, they say, has declined. For the period January to July 21 the toll stood at 518, while it was 575 for the same period last year. But the fact that there are still too many illegal guns in the hands of criminal elements make the authorities feel that the murders could still rise.
With the latest tally now over the 550 mark the authorities still distinguish a category of what they term domestic murders; that is, those killings which result from disputes between household members or relatives. Such fatalities are obviously not amenable to routine law enforcement in public places.
There is a category of killings, however, which may be the most fearful because they are normally outside the sphere of immediate police protection. We refer to the invasion of private homes for theft or other evil design.
Two recent examples have caused wide shock because the victims were substantial persons who made valuable contributions to different phases of national life. We refer to Mr. Robert Sutton, cattle farmer of Manchester, and more recently Mr. Clifford Borough, described as a pioneer shareholder activist in the business community.
Apart from cattle farming Mr. Sutton was a leading ornithologist who gained international recognition for his expertise in bird life. Without fanfare or wide public recognition, he was a pioneer in nature tourism and contributed to community and environmental activity.
Mr. Borough earned a reputation in the investment community for his bold questioning of management decisions at shareholders meetings. Owning shares in nearly every company listed in the Stock Exchange, he persisted in defending the interests of minority shareholders.
Both these victims of unknown killers escaped the anonymity of stark police statistics, because their lives and careers made some difference to the public weal. But they were nonetheless targets of the evil which still stalks this land. Their deaths are tragic reminders that after the euphoria of Independence celebrations there is serious work to be done.
