Mark Kerr-Jarrett, Contributor

Recently, the American ambassador to Jamaica, Mrs. Brenda LaGrange Johnson, declared that "by some estimates crime accounts for a seven per cent reduction in Jamaica's GDP every year. This suggests the loss of nearly US$850 million (or J$56.6 billion) due to crime."

Furthermore, a study undertaken by Member of Parliament for North West St. James, Dr. Horace Chang, in Norwood, exposed that of all the males between the ages of 18 and 35, 60 per cent are unemployed and the majority of those most probably unemployable owing to educational shortfalls.

If we assumed that these two statements are directly and inextricably linked, which I believe they are, we must find a way to educate and employ, in particular, the male population between the ages of 18 and 35, their period of highest productivity. This will undoubtedly reduce current crime figures, stave off this scourge in the future and also dramatically increase productivity and GDP on a whole.

In light of these facts, I would like to put forward a possible solution that deals with both these issues and will be a net benefit to the nation.

My proposal would ideally include an integration of the National Youth Service into the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF). Once this is achieved, the JDF could create an Army Corps of Engineers (ACE), which would significantly augment the National Works Agency, and be responsible for all our infrastructure construction and maintenance projects islandwide and under whose authority all the heavy equipment would be put.

Institute mandatory national service for all males between the ages of 18 and 25, who are not gainfully employed or in tertiary education for a period of not less than two to three years.

During the first six months to a year the recruits would experience all the rigours of military training in order to instil discipline and team spirit. This would also result in dramatic socialisation of the individuals, the lack of which is one of the major causes for the high levels of involvement of our youths in criminal activity in the first place. The recruits would also be evaluated to determine their educational standard with particular attention to literacy and numeracy levels. Those requiring additional attention to bring them to the national standard would receive it as part of their basic training.

The other recruits who passed the standard literacy test would be evaluated to determine their strengths and aptitudes and then trained in that aspect of civil works and construction methodology, for example equipment operation and maintenance, concrete and asphalt technology, surveying, engineering, drafting, to name a few. Please note that the majority of these disciplines are currently offered as some of the many training areas currently available to recruits in their first seven years of enlistment in any case.

Reward system

We could also consider training in firearms and other 'exciting' military activities as part of a reward system that could be employed to promote good behaviour and enhance performance.

All the training and qualification could be done in partnership with either the equipment companies such as Caterpillar, a service currently offered by the country dealer, or educational institutions such as UTech depending on the subject matter in order to assure that the highest possible standards are met. Once the aforementioned is achieved, we could then be in a position to go to the international lending agencies and request that as part of every internationally tendered infrastructure project for Jamaica, ACE, would be a mandatory joint venture partner, supplying all the services in which our competency levels met the tender requirements.

Additionally, ACE would provide site security a duty for which they are also particularly well suited and trained.

Majority of criminals

How are we going to pay for it you may ask? Well, if crime is costing us $56 billion every year in GDP reduction and another $600 million in health care costs for victims of violent crime and it is the unemployed males who make up the majority of criminals, the question is can we afford not to implement this sort of programme.

After two to three years, we would have an otherwise hopeless male population brimming over with value and self-esteem. They will also be highly sought after by the construction industry throughout the region on completion of their period of national service, as they will have a marketable skill and valuable experience to match, all under-pinned by personal character that is built upon discipline and teamwork.

The recruits could also be given the opportunity to make ACE a career if they should so choose, entitling them to the chain of promotions available to any professional soldier.

The approximate cost of billeting one private is approximately $820,000 each per annum. Therefore, given the aforementioned numbers this is equivalent to billeting 70,000 new recruits each year.

Admittedly this programme will have to be phased in to allow JDF/ACE time to increase its officer corps commissioned and non-commissioned, to meet the challenges of this change in structure and upgrade and increase the trainers in order to manage all the new career path opportunities that will be offered.

Jamaica must be secured for the future, and as the adage goes, drastic times require drastic measures. The benefits of a programme like this far outweigh the challenges, and I believe that we can rescue this nation and the sub-40 generation if we are willing to be innovative and deliberate in our ways. A clear path for a successful and prosperous future for all Jamaicans must be our priority today!

Mark Kerr-Jarrett is a Montego Bay-based businessman.