The Editor, Sir:

The nation woke up on Thursday to the news of the brutal slaying of another policeman. Seventeen police personnel killed, most of them in the line of duty, over an eleven-month period. But, as a people, do we really place any significance on the murdering of our law enforcement officers?

When we start attacking the members of our security forces, what we are doing is attacking the foundation of law and order. Can we afford, as a people, to sit down and allow this to continue? In a country not experiencing civil war, this is a most frightening situation and one that all well-thinking Jamaicans need to take very seriously.

Unlike other murders, there are usually no demonstrations or calls for justice when members of the Police Force are attacked and killed. How can we realistically tell the members of the force that it is business as usual and that they should not cower in the face of the onslaught when there appears to be an all-our war against them?

I think that as a society, we need to speak up in unison that "Enough is Enough". We need to bond together to rid this beautiful county of all semblance of criminality. But, unless we start first with the premise that if our law enforcement officers are being attacked and murdered, then we are all going to become a nation at risk. Or, have we resigned to the notion that there is nothing we can do to positively impact on our security and the security of our nation. We need to consider that if our law enforcement officers are at risk then we all are at risk.

I am, etc.,

PAT BIGNALL

Kingston