THE EDITOR, Sir:WERE I the prime minister, I would quickly realise that 60 men and women cannot from Duke Street in Kingston govern 2.5 million people with two million cellular phones.
I would be thinking in terms of devolution. Tony Blair did it with Scotland and Wales. It is time to divest central government of the power of running the entire country.
I would go for a three county arrangement Cornwall Constabulary, Middlesex Constabulary and Surrey Constabulary.
Young men and women who live in these counties, once they are successful in the entrance for the police, would come to Kingston for training, then return to their county. They would be best placed to know the people who live in their counties.
The border of the three counties should be rigidly policed. Crimes statistics would be collated on a county level.
The army would be free to go into any of the three counties, but not the police, unless invited by the county constabulary.
Each of the constabularies should have at least 300 district constables.
Prison does not reform; Prisoners go to prison and learn crime. Why take a prisoner to the University of Tower Street, all the way from Montego Bay?
I would have the Cornwall Penal Institution, the Middlesex Penal Institution and the Surrey Penal Institution.
Give the Custodes and the Justices of Peace some real work to do.
Having divested these day-to-day functions, the Cabinet and I could work on better things for the people of Jamaica.
I am, etc.,
KENNETH W. FRANCIS
Belle Plain, Osborne P.O.
