I’m not sure what type of methodology the Jamaica Constabulary Force is using in it’s attempt to contain and suppress crime in Jamaica’s inner cities.
What I do know is that they aren’t working.
I understand the challenges facing the police and they are many and varied chief among which are.
♦ The pretentious nature of Jamaican up-town tappanaris[sic] to inject themselves into everything the police does , solely to find fault. We Jamaicans know how to do everyone’s job but our own.
♦ Lack of resources and support from the Government to effectively get the job done.
♦ The propensity of inner city dwellers to push back against law enforcement even though they derive the most benefit from proper law enforcement.
♦A judicial system hostile to law enforcement, probably found nowhere else in the world.
♦ A pervasive culture of anti-law enforcement.
♦ Lack of ongoing training and logistical support.
♦ Low and inadequate wages and remuneration for the extra work and the hazard officers face.
♦ Dealing with an oversight Agency which places itself in the position of Savior but brings precious little if anything to the table.
Yes it is difficult being a police officer in Jamaica, I know for a fact many officers would be out if the opportunity presented itself.
Officers are largely in it now for the little stipend they receive 12 times a year.
Morale is at all time lows.
Esprit de corps is non-existent, a thing of the past.
They risk their lives for a corrupt , Administration which refuses to recognize their sacrifice.
They risk their lives for a people totally undeserving of the sacrifice they make.
I am not anti-police, I have been in the trenches , I have fought alongside many still serving including SSP Cornwall (bigga) Ford , a man who was senior to me and whom I still have the utmost respect for as a serious crime fighter to this day.
Senior Superintendent Ford is now the Commanding Officer in charge of Western Kingston. This Command means Ford has come full circle as a young man who hails from right there in Hannah Town.
Ford is a son of the soil, he knows the community inside out , not just as a police officer but as a kid who traversed the lanes and alley-ways as all little boys do.
Understanding the psychology of the community is not a problem then for Ford.
As violence continue to plague communities in west Kingston, Schools are forced to keep children inside out of fear for their lives. Educators lament children are traumatized at the constant sound of gunshots. As a result they are forced to hunker down as if in a war zone.
How can Jamaica expect to succeed as a Nation if it’s children are traumatized. Kids go to School not knowing when a stray bullet with their name on it will hit?
These are the conditions we read about and condemn in Gaza and the West Bank. We cannot allow this bunker reality to continue to be par for the course any longer.
I am left wondering whether the current system the police is employing of putting out fires may not be contributing to the problem?
Criminals are opportunistic Vultures. They will push the envelope of opportunism to the extent they are convinced they will prevail without consequence. In many instances the strategy of the Police has been and still remain highly predictable.
It may be time for the Police to adopt a grid approach to containing crime.
Outside in , rather than inside out.
This means using every single iota of resource available to position cops strategically around trouble spots.
This means very few officers at police stations.
This means bringing the assets of the Defense Force into the mix. We won’t be fighting Cuba anytime soon we don’t need troops and vehicles laying around idle.
This means cutting off potential escape routes including gullies and drains.
As soon as someone fires a gun the outer circle closes until the offender/s are isolated , cut off, arrested or taken out.
When you negate the chances of escape you change behaviors.
It’s time to stop dashing to scenes of crime after the fact. Criminals understand that is what Police do, they have no fear they know the areas , they know the topography.
Lets bring a different approach to policing in Jamaica’s urban ghettos,.