ELSEWHERE ON this page we publish an extract of the editorial of October 14, 2003. It presented an analysis of Jamaica's then murder rate at 44 per 100,000 among the highest in the Americas and the new sophisticated levels to which contract killings were being taken. Those figures now seem tame when compared with today's data.
Last October, the police were reporting just over 700 deaths up to that time of the year. This year, the country is recording just over 1,125. Last week, the police recorded 37 homicides and the week before that, 30. The only other countries that record these murder rates are those in armed conflict with other states or which have to contend with insurgent rebel groups. Our response to the current state of affairs has gone beyond anger and panic to chronic paralysis.
Ever so often the police put a new interpretation on what their analysis of data and trends is showing. Sometimes the suggestion is that the crime is being driven to a large extent by deportees; at other times, we are told it is primarily drug-related and still at other times, it is driven by domestic violence. Whatever the truth, this analysis does not seem to be helping them or the society to get on top of the problem.
The runaway crime rate is one thing. The inadequate investigations, arrests and convictions are another thing altogether. In effect we are not much different from Chicken Little running around screaming that the sky is falling. It may well be argued that the police need more resources, but surely the society should see
something, given what has been provided already, that presents a glimmer of hope, that a dent is being made in the activities of the criminal underworld. After all millions of dollars have been spent providing equipment and training to the security forces.
Jurisdictions which record steady drops in crime rates usually point to a combination of factors social programmes of joint
public-private-sector partnerships that address some of crime's underlying causes, as well as aggressive law enforcement and improved police methods to take more criminals off the streets.
The use of technology to map trends in particular areas and to develop countervailing strategies seem also to have helped law enforcement officers in other countries to put dents in the armoury of drug and other criminal kingpins. We have no reason to believe local police are any less capable of paralysing a few more criminal networks. Undoubtedly, corruption is a major bugbear for the heads of the security institutions, but it is not insurmountable.
It is just not good enough for the society (including the police) to stand petrified, counting the statistics, seemingly waiting for an implosion. Simply put, there needs to be a serious shake-up in the supervision of the island's security strategies, and this must go beyond the mere shifting around of personnel. It is time for more serious action.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
