THE ESTABLISHMENT of a special parliamentary committee to deal with security is one aspect of the agreement reached between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The Jamaica House meeting at which the agreement was reached last Friday was held at the instance of Bruce Golding, the Opposition Leader, who had held back his own comment immediately after the multiple killings of policemen which have alarmed the nation.
We can understand Mr.Golding's concern for his own West Kingston constituency which police intelligence indicates is where the killers originated. The concern may well be fed by the history of police intervention in West Kingston; in particular the controversial onslaught by the security forces in July 2001.
That event may also explain the establishment of roadblocks at several entrances into the community in the aftermath of the killings. Another view, of course, is that roadblocks, apart from preventing police entry, indicate common cause with criminal enterprise and the nefarious runnings of a garrison community. It is generally accepted that residents of depressed communities depend on largesse from dons or area leaders, no matter the source.
We are more concerned for the moment with what the political agreement between Mr. Patterson and Mr. Golding entails and to what extent the new parliamentary committee will be mandated to influence the war on crime.
The Jamaica House statement "expressed full support for the security forces in the lawful execution their duties" and it pointed to a pending review by Parliament of the legislative framework to deal more effectively with crime and violence.
The public should be told the precise mandate of the special committee. In our view, while general policy objectives are the responsibility of the political administration, the operational execution of these policies should remain the province of the Police Commissioner and his High Command; which does not mean that the security forces can ride roughshod over the civil rights of all citizens, including wrongdoers.
It is interesting that in canvassing the comments of various Members of Parliament The Sunday Gleaner reported that there were conflicting views as to their duty to pass on information to the police.
The MPs in constituencies deemed as garrisons must seek to assert their own political leadership which, in extreme cases, has been usurped for nefarious objectives. The dubious link between crime and politics must be broken once and for all. Parliament must bear this in mind as the membership tackle the crime which engulfs the nation at a new and dangerous level.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
