Hartley Neita

This week, members of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) visited the Denham Town Police Station to indicate their support for the police in their fight against criminals and offer their sympathy to the colleagues of the two policemen from that station who were shot dead earlier in the week.

It was, I think, the first time that members of a national private sector association have visited a police station to share their sorrow with the police at the murder of their colleagues.

It was a gesture long overdue.

I would have preferred if a wider group in the PSOJ was involved. More strength to this demonstration of support would also have been felt had it included other organisations such as the Chambers of Commerce, the Jamaica Employers' Federation, the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, the Jamaica Exporters' Association and all the stakeholders in the cause of the preservation of peace and stability in our country.

It would also have had a more meaningful impact if these organisations had not just driven in their individual motor vehicles to the station and driven back to their offices, but had parked some distance away and marched through the streets in the area to and from the station.

Solidarity

Citizens who are not members of these organisations, church members, political parties and other groups who are aware of the need for visible solidarity for their causes would have done just that. They would have marched with banners and posters. Mark, I am not expecting these organisations to sing and demand justice - that would not be their style; but marching their support would have been more effective. The murderers need to see that the society is giving full support to the police.

And so, I congratulate the committee of the PSOJ for stepping up their support for the police as they did. Usually, these organisations merely issue a news release condemning the murderers and expressing sorrow with the bereaved families, and then being represented at the funerals.

In addition, I am hoping they will visit the families of these slain policemen to express sympathy and offer tangible support. There is no way that the mothers of these lawmen's children or their parents can ever recover from the loss of these breadwinners. The insurance that they are entitled to sometimes takes months before the families receive anything.

One of the things I want to see ended is the portrayal in plays of policemen in the role of buffoons. One of the popular local television productions also portrays policemen as corrupt, in the pockets of politicians, dons and unscrupulous women. In the many years that this soap opera has been shown, it is yet to present one policeman in a good light.

Negative portrayal

To counter this negative portrayal of the police force, I suggest that our excellent playwrights be asked to submit scripts for television and radio serials which dramatise the life of a policeman, his colleagues and his family. Then ask the private sector to put their money where their mouth is.

In my time, I have worked with and got to know many fine policemen.

Let us honour them.