Delroy Chuck
AFTER ANOTHER failed Tivoli raid, decent, law-abiding and right-thinking Jamaicans are utterly embarrassed. With the seemingly politically-inspired state terrors of 1997 and 2001, as precursors to general elections, the security forces had to get it right and, for once, demonstrate that trust and confidence can rightfully be reposed in law enforcement. But, what a débâcle? How can anyone, hereafter, believe anything that the present leadership of the security forces says or dos, or have any faith in its competence?
The stated purpose of the operation was to apprehend three wanted men who were responsible for the killing of three policemen in May 2005.
After months of planning and careful gathering of intelligence, and with over 500 men from the police and army, supported by two helicopters, armoured vehicles and dozens of police cars that cordoned Tivoli Gardens from approximately 3.30 a.m on Tuesday, October 4, 2005, no guns, no ammunition, no spent shells, no gunmen and none of the wanted men were found.
The assault on Tivoli cost millions of dollars, and what was the result? So far, only oneperson has been charged for a ganja spliff, for which he pleaded guilty and paid a fine of $200.
Thirty cellular phones, quantities of ganja and army paraphernalia were allegedly found, but no one charged. Human rights were abused and innocent persons shot and injured. What a disgrace! The security forces should be ashamed of their incompetence, blatant lies and abject failure.
A MODEL COMMUNITY
Why is Tivoli being targeted? Tivoli is truly a model community, a symbol of what our inner cities could become. If Tivoli were placed in another location, it would be a preferred gated community. Yet, Tivoli has no gates.
It has well-defined entrances and exits. If there are tunnels, as some believe, they are well hidden and unknown.
Tivoli stands as an oasis of beauty, order and cleanliness in a wasteland of decay, ugliness and unkempt shacks, especially in and around southern St. Andrew.
The buildings are nicely arranged, well-kept and, generally, as one drives through, there is a feeling of peace and tranquillity, which belie the evil perception and social image that bad-minded detractors paint of Tivoli.
Tivoli has excelled and can be proud of its achievements. From the womb of this mother of all garrisons have emerged some of the most outstanding footballers, cricketers, basketball players, netball players, actors, musicians, dramatists, creative artists, high school achievers, businessmen, doctors, and graduates of tertiary institutions.
No other inner-city community can match the successes and sterling accomplishments of Tivoli, yet it is still demonised, stigmatised and demoralised by envious, small-minded, critics. I have no doubt that there are criminals and gunmen in Tivoli but which inner city community is free of these wretches?
In fact, until the security forces demonstrate that they can protect the people in each and every community, many of these volatile and politically-aligned communities will see the gunmen as necessary protectors instead of wicked miscreants.
The unsuccessful raid on Tivoli Gardens is a matter of grave concern. How could the intelligence of our security forces be so dismal, lacking and/or skewed? If there were sentries that warned the community of the impending raid, why did the intelligence not anticipate the early warning signals of those phantom sentries? Then, Tivoli is a small community, easily surrounded, and easily locked down, as was done last Tuesday, so where are the criminals and their guns?
Are the criminals in Tivoli so intelligent, well prepared and competently led that they can so easily outsmart the security forces? Or, is it that the politically-engineered perception of Tivoli as a criminally infested, well-organised and managed garrison is a lie and, thus, distorts the intelligence of the security forces?
PARTISAN INTELLIGENCE
When I hear that Grants Pen, in which PNP gunmen reside and create havoc, is a part of the Tivoli criminal enterprise, I understand how foolish and partisan the intelligence gathering has become.
In truth, if Tivoli, with its well-laid buildings, easily manoeuvred streets and clear boundaries cannot be successfully raided, searched and policed, how can the security forces ever effectively police or even find a gun in any other inner-city community with their corrugated zinc fences, decrepit shacks, winding alleyways and overgrown bushy borders?
When things go awfully wrong, as they did last Tuesday, a civilised society would demand that leadership, somewhere, take responsibility and resign, but in an uncouth, rudderless, society no one takes responsibility or even contemplates resignation.
Delroy Chuck is an attorney-at-law and Opposition Member of Parliament. He can be contacted by email at delchuck@hotmail.com.
