Dennie Quill, ContributorI HAVE been having sleepless nights thinking about the violence that has taken hold of our country with an iron grip. Many of my friends admit that they are really scared for themselves and their families. And while the murder rate is galloping, the party in power is caught up in a power struggle as the top members seek to further their political ambitions at the expense of their rivals.
The view of Jamaica as a chaotic country dripping with blood and slaughter is bound to have serious repercussions for investment, both in tourism and industry. It seems that at this very crucial time, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson should take a hands-on approach in the fight against crime by grabbing the reins of the Ministry of National Security to demonstrate the seriousness of the situation and also to ensure that the financial support necessary to get this ministry functioning efficiently is provided.
The nation is now locked in a great battle the one with crime and all other battles pale in significance. We expect our government to keep public order and protect us from criminals. It is all right for friendly governments to assist with skills transfer and training, but it has to be the priority of the Government of Jamaica to see that the Jamaica Constabulary Force is provided with modern ballistics and forensic technology and other 21st Century crime-fighting tools. Such important matters cannot depend on the kindness of foreign governments. There has to be a commitment to find the necessary resources to do this.
INFORMATION-SHARING
IT (information technology) should be used to promote innovation and facilitate information-sharing between crucial security elements. For example, why should a private security firm be better equipped to recover stolen motor vehicles than the police? Why should neighbourhoods and businesses put the hands of their security in private firms when they are all paying taxes? Recently a woman was kidnapped from a Walmart parking lot in Texas. The police were not able to save her life, but her killer was captured within a day or two. The parking lot was equipped with security cameras which assisted the police in making a swift arrest. All over America there are security cameras from parking garages to supermarkets which figure in the daily apprehension of criminals.
Should the private sector come together and get government to give them the necessary concession so that they can install security cameras in strategic areas? Better yet, can the government come up with incentives for the private sector to participate in fighting crime? Yes, there is crime everywhere. The difference in Jamaica is that the criminals are rarely caught.
In places where they are serious about tackling crime and getting guns, gangs and drugs off the streets, technologies being employed include the use of laptop computers to file reports from patrol cars, access to databases of criminal records etc. Diligent police work and good prosecutorial efforts will win the war against crime. Swift punishment of criminals is the only way to improve public safety. It is patently clear that much work needs to be done on the criminal justice side in terms of investigations and evidence gathering, as well as the protection of witnesses.
FIGHT AGAINST CRIME
Marginal gains have been made in the fight against crime in the last two decades and someone at Jamaica House needs to declare that enough is enough. Many countries have found ways to deal with crime from America's "three strikes rule" to more drastic measures such as the death pen-alty. Jamaica needs to borrow some of these ideas and refine them for its own situation. The fact that high-profile businesses are chanting their success at garnering mega profits year after year, this cannot be used as a yardstick to judge a country's progress when it cannot protect the most vulnerable among us our children and elderly. What good is there in making huge profits when the fabric of our communities is being ripped apart by crime and violence?
Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who can be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com
