THE EDITOR, Sir:
CRIME IN Jamaica can be compared to a runaway freight train. The viciousness of these crimes can only be acts of vacuous minds that are in a permanent state of hallucinogenic stupor. How do we curtail this malignant spread? Is it the failure on the part of security forces or the Government?
To understand crime, we need to know the contributory factors - the fight for political dominance, narco-trade, stifled opportunities, poor education, anaemic economic growth, indifferent socialisation, poor role models and sheer greed.
If these are major contributors then it should be obvious that we need long, medium and short-term approaches. The security forces need to plug entry points for guns and stop the supply lines for entry and exit of all narcotics. The intelligence capabilities need to be reinforced. Rather than killing gun suspects, apprehend them so as to obtain information on sources of guns. The police force needs at least three helicopters, a team of forensic experts and a strategic swat team. The Government must do all to create and foster economic growth and development, more educational facilities and with the Opposition, stop the consolidation of constituencies.
The citizens at large should encourage positive attitudes, have unbiased employment, pay relevant taxes, stop blocking roads as a means of protest and, most of all, cease reprisal killings.
A careful examination of the above suggests a collective failure on us Jamaicans.
I am, etc.,
EARL LAWRENCE
Boscobel, St. Mary
