So Andrew Holness and Peter Phillips are holding talks reportedly regarding the nation’s crime epidemic. This is a good thing that should always have been the way forward from the beginning. Crime should never be a political football.
Better late than never. It is a start, if they are serious about doing what they can to work together on this all-important issue.
According to one local publication, the meeting will commence at 2:00 pm; both Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Opposition Leader Peter Phillips, as well as Minister of National Security, Horace Chang and the Opposition’s spokesman on national security, Fitz Jackson will represent the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP), respectively; and the event is being organized by the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce.
A number of stakeholders, including the private sector bodies such as the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA); the churches; the trade unions; civil society organisations; and human rights advocate are expected to attend the meeting, which will be a follow up to an initial meeting last week Thursday between Holness and Phillips.
Maybe I missed, it but I did not see anything about the police or the military being there in their capacity as experts. You know since they are the ones who have to strategize and execute whatever comes out of this crapshoot.
How in God’s name can there be a conference convened without the principal experts being front and center with the data, detailing the challenges, explaining what they need to get the job done?
No, Horace Chang does not know, neither does Fitz Jackson, neither has any experience in law enforcement or security matters, they are political hacks.
This is another example of why crime continues to trend upward to the point that these two groups of jokers are forced to sit down together.
Why are so-called human rights activists even allowed into that conference?
So we have the very same bunch of self-righteous all-knowing neanderthals sitting around talking about how not to be hard on criminals. That should absolutely work at crime reduction.
The Prime Minister noted in the parliament that crime had gone down 35% in the western parishes in which the (SOE’s) has been in effect. Of course, he did not bother mentioning that overall crime has gone up across the Island.
It is like flogging a dead horse, but what do I know?
There is one solution which works against criminals, it is an all-out assault on their methods, on their operations, taking their money, taking their houses, and putting them away for good.
Oh, wait.……This cannot come out of this conference, because in that group are criminals, who will not legislate against themselves.
Therein lies the problem.
Mike Beckles is a former Jamaican police Detective corporal, a business owner, avid researcher, and blogger.
He is a black achiever honoree, and publisher of the blog chatt-a-box.com.
He’s also a contributor to several websites.
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