Despite the persistently high level of violent crime, half of the country's registered voters are uncertain whether the governing People's National party (PNP) or the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) can effectively relieve the society of this scourge.

In a Gleaner-commissioned poll, conducted earlier this month, pollster Bill Johnson found that 32 per cent of persons interviewed islandwide did not believe that either party, if it formed the next government, would do a better job of handling the problem of crime and violence. A further 20 per cent of the 1,008 persons, interviewed on May 5 and May 6, could not say which party had a better handle on the crime situation. The poll has a margin of error is plus or minus three per cent.

A mere 25 per cent of persons said the PNP would better handle crime, while a slightly less number (23 per cent) believed the JLP would do better at combating crime.

Their number one problem

This low expectation of a solution to crime on the part of the public is paradoxical in light of the consistent identification of crime among the top three most pressing problem at the national and/or community levels. In fact, in national polls conducted by pollster Johnson for The Gleaner since March last year, an average of 70 per cent of respondents cite crime as their number one problem.

Police statistics show that more than 544 persons have been murdered islandwide between January 1 and May 22.