ORVILLE W. TAYLORSO, THE Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) has spoken. Three days of emphatic demonstration brought the attention of the public to the crime crisis. After all, it occupied much of the agenda on radio talk shows last week and here I am
writing about it.
So at least, it has got some free press and thus it met part of its
objective. Still, not all of the major private sector entities joined the
ceremony. Despite his frequent criticisms of the stance that the Government has taken against the crime epidemic, Bill Clarke's Scotiabank remained open for business.
Maybe it was not in his bank's 'interest'. However, BNS's absence does
not point to the 'failed state' of the spectacle.
There were 'dissident' voices within the business community and even a relative of slain businessman Maurice Azan, considered the choice of Wednesday as disingenuous since stores in Kingston and some other places normally close half day on that day. One prominent educator-cum politician and an inner-city leader both described the action as hypocritical. Yet, despite these
voices, there was more support than criticism.
I wore 'light blue' for peace, not 'purple' and my Kingston College colleagues can understand why. Still, while I myself did not join the shenanigans, I am not opposed to taking a public stand if it is meant to be followed up by tangible recommendations, commitments and processes.
Furthermore, the plague of
violence shifts focus from the white-collar crimes perpetuated by the
middle and upper classes, which remove large amounts of financial resources that could be put to use in developing the economy and creating opportunities for would-be criminals.
DISMANTLING GARRISONS
Inventing a new solution once more, the PSOJ gave politicians a three-week ultimatum to 'disassociate' themselves from criminals and dismantle
garrisons. Did they mean 'dissociate,' which implies that there is an existing bond? Anyway, that is pure semantics. What is at issue here is how? Does anyone have even the faintest idea as to how they were formed?
As I have been saying over the years, dons and garrisons are direct products of a social, economic and political system that has practised the exclusion of large segments of the population, who in turn learn to develop their 'culture of poverty' and turn inwards away from a
society that always rejected them. Some communities were established as garrisons from day one. What do you do with those?
True, part of the long-term
solution to the crime problem lies in poverty reduction although most of the poor do not engage in violent crime. Indeed, few have even stopped to think about the level of poverty in the police force and among the private security guards, who are defending us against the 'crimenami'.
Remember, the data from the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) report that 70 per cent of the poor are employed and I bet that includes a few of those wearing stripe pants and cummerbunds that reach up to their pockets. The Police Federation has maintained that it wants a reasonable offer from the Government because the police are in economically deprived situations, especially those who strictly depend on salary and do not 'moonlight'.
A Sunday Gleaner article reports the monthly salary for the average constable (police with no stripes except on the trousers) as just over $30,000 per month before tax. With statutory
deductions, this is just over $20,000.
Take out rent of $9,000 for a Greater Portmore quad, budget food and transport of $2,000 per week or $8,000 per month and 'Officer Dibble' is broke by the 27th.
With that salary level, you can only recruit those who cannot do better; those who want the 'wuk' for the wrong reasons and a few who are dedicated to the idealistic
principles of the force.
ECONOMIC WANTS AND NEEDS
Tell me then, how does one expect to find motivation for the front line police personnel who have to police, walking beat and foot with only a sky juice and bun and cheese? It takes a special type of person to walk the 'straight and narrow' when an errant motorist attempts to buy his or her way out of trouble.
The simple point I want to make is that the force typically recruits from the same group or category of persons in society as the 'criminal
factories' persons who generally do not have the means or any nest egg left by daddy. Many of these persons are in the marginal, vulnerable
sub-group who, if not in a position to take care of their basic needs, will cross the line. The uniform, the
training manuals and the threat of discovery and punishment are not enough of a deterrent.
Let me say it more plainly. Inasmuch as there are some
inherently corrupt cops as in all organisations, many simply
succumb to temptation because of of their needs and economic wants.
Therefore, while it is nice to hear that the PSOJ is encouraging the adoption of police stations, we need to find ways of improving the economic welfare of the police personnel. I would like to know that the average cop lives in a house that looks better than his barracks at the station.
However, none of this is possible until we have sustained economic growth and deeper economic commitment from the private sector. In these trying times when the gun
battles are like Star Wars I say, "The (Police) force be with you!"
Dr. Orville Taylor is a lecturer
in the department of sociology,
psychology and social work at the University of the West Indies, Mona.
