The Editor, Sir:

Absolutely no honest, reasonable and up-to-date Jamaican citizen could say that crime is at present under control, no way. Last year over 1,000 persons were brutally murdered, and as of August 2006, over 756 persons have been killed. Jamaicans For Justice informs us that last year over 200 Jamaicans were killed by the police, while since the start of this year 86 persons were killed by members of the police force.

Jamaica has a murder rate of some 61 murders per 100,000 of the population. Every week huge numbers of crimes, including robberies, rape and extortion rackets, are reported in the media, while the police clear-up rate is less than 45 per cent, which is disgraceful and demonstrates that we have a grossly incompetent and unprofessional police force.

Crime across Jamaica is at an alarming level and the majority of criminals who are committing these islandwide crimes know very well that they will not be apprehended by the police, and so they brazenly carry on with impunity their various criminal acts. Also, many crimes are just not reported to the police because citizens think that it is just useless.

Crime is out of control in Jamaica, let us face the reality.

I am, etc.,

RICHARD L. TOMLINSON

drtomlinson22@hotmail.com

Montego Bay # 2 P.O.