THE EDITOR, Sir:THESE TIMES are undoubtedly the worst of times for Jamaicans on a whole and for the men
and women of the police force in particular.
They never receive due respect for the jobs they do. They have been hounded by human rights groups, harshly criticised by others and now they are routinely being slaughtered and maimed daily. And when they ask for better treatment in the form of pay and benefits, they are told by the Minister of Finance he has no money.
During colonial times, the police were seen as representatives of the crown. Their job was to protect the elites from the general public. Today's police force is the representative of an independent nation and its law-abiding citizenry and, as such, the reality is they are now the single most important faction of Government. A well-trained, dedicated police force is absolutely necessary for the survival of this nation.
Consider this, we can survive indefinitely without a Parliament. How long could we survive without the police on the beat?
Of course, the police must uphold the law while they maintain the law. But they are also human and should not be forced to use unprofessional means to get attention.
According to Dr. Omar Davies, there is close to a billion U.S.
dollars in reserve for emergency funding. Spend some of it, give the police what they want.
I am an old man, I cannot fight, I cannot run and I cannot shoot a gun. When I go on the road, the only friend I see is the police. It is hard for them to be nice and friendly when they are being shot at and the bills are overdue. I would rather deal with a rude policeman than a criminal with a gun.
I am, etc.,
SIDNEY ELLIOTT
Hialeah Drive, Kingston 19
