Kenneth N. Bingham and Martin H. Bingham, Contributors
Policemen process the crime scene where five persons were shot and killed by gunmen in the rural Clarendon community of Water Lane, just outside of Lionel Town, last December. File
Jamaica is no longer the peaceful, tranquil place it used to be, quite regrettably. Those who are old enough, speak with nostalgia of the past. We even earned the sobriquet, 'paradise'.
Today, we all have good reason to 'weep for Jamaica'. The blood of our people - men, women and children of all ages and saddest of all, babies - has stained the beloved motherland. Many of us - the "un-indicted co-conspirators" - are complicit.
Ours is a dilemma of gargantuan proportions which easily lends itself to the blame game. Scapegoats abound. The police seem to be most prominent among them. We should endeavour to be fair to them, however, and, respectfully, insist that others do likewise. Theirs is, perhaps, one of the most dangerous policing jobs in the world!
Police brutality
Admittedly, the image of the force has been tarnished by the reported excesses of some of its members. These include corruption and questionable shootings of citizens. However, this should not deflect from the good faith efforts that are being made to clean up the force. These initiatives should be intensified.
We are especially concerned that in all of this, we might not be fair in the manner in which we portray the force as a whole. We often hear about the number of police killings, some even say murders.
What about the number of police personnel being killed or injured? We do not hear, equally, of the number of Jamaican citizens being killed by gunmen. Does it matter?
We hear of police brutality. Quite regrettably, this does have more than an element of truth. We would never wish to trivialise it. We believe in the sanctity of the life of every Jamaican - rich, poor, young, old and yes, the lives of criminals and suspects as well. They are all our people with their families and friends.
Why though, we ask, is there no howl of protest about criminal brutality when policemen are killed?
What about the rights of three sisters and an unborn eight-month child? They were gunned down at night in the sanctuary of their home. Two of the girls were three-year-old twins whose cries for help did nothing to move their brutish executioners.
There are rules of engagement in fox hunting and bird shooting. But there are no holds barred when it comes to the killing of our citizens by criminals. There has to be a greater sensitivity toward the plight of the victims. We should not give an appearance of such concern for persons whose innocence is often questionable, at best, while turning a blind eye to those whose innocence is never in question.
Professionalise the force
At the end of the day, we would urge the authorities to proceed with efforts to upgrade and professionalise the force. There should be increased training of recruits. Retraining of the present complement is also necessary. Ethics, performance, efficiency and professionalism should receive renewed focus. There should be emphasis on training in non-lethal combat, investigative techniques, interpersonal relations and communication and physical fitness.
The police should take heart from the overwhelming outpouring of public support for the commissioner. This is a statement of the confidence reposed in him. Officers and the rank and file should take note. They, too, can enjoy similar levels of support.
But the public perceptions must first change from the negative dimensions that are now apparent. It has been reported that some policemen have decided to lay down arms because they are 'disgruntled'.
If this were so, it would be ludicrous. An employee cannot refuse to perform while expecting to collect salary and benefits as usual and further expect that there should be no consequences. Let the police force put their house in order. There needs to be a greater level of discipline and commitment throughout.
Community leadership
This is a time for people to assume the mantle of leadership in their communities. There is a member of parliament (MP) in each constituency and several councillors. There is a caretaker for each MP and each councillor.
Added to that number are school principals, pastors, justices of the peace and leading business persons. These individuals - 20 or more of them per constituency - do have an enormous stake in their communities. They should be expected to provide leadership beyond what is now evident. Reconciliation must be at the centre of whatever initiatives they embark upon
It remains our considered view that it is in our best interest to work together with diligence to return Jamaica to its halcyon days. We should close ranks and produce a workable blueprint for co-existence, once again, in peace and harmony.
If we are incapable of this, and, instead, surrender to a few dozen criminals who continue to terrorise us, the leaders should admit their failure. The blood-letting cannot be allowed to continue.
Kenneth N. Bingham is a consultant in human resource management. Martin H. Bingham is an economist. The father/son team may be reached at articles.newera@yahoo.com. Email also columns@gleanerjm.com.
