Jamaica Gleaner.com photo>
As criminals continue to pose serious challenges to Governments, police departments and other law enforcement entities, it has become more and more urgent that every lawful means be employed to be able to give societies across the globe a chance, in what is fast becoming an existential fight for law-abiding citizens.
In many parts of the world, as it is in the western world, citizens are anxious to join the fight to keep their communities safe. Citizens understand it is not the fight of the police, it is their fight to preserve the safety of theirs and their families lives and property.
As such they have made the decision to do what they must to protect their individual liberties as free people, yet be fluid in balancing their understanding of the ever changing times. This requires a reshaping of some traditions and understandings about what constitutes privacy.
We now understand that we really cannot expect to have privacy in public spaces ‚yet expect those tasked with protecting us to be effective in doing so with their hands tied behind their backs.
Law Enforcement in Boston Massachusetts were able to turn to footage from CCTV cameras as well as cameras in parts of that city belonging to private individuals after the heinous terror bombings which killed and maimed many innocent people. This technology is not a panacea for the problem of crime and terror, it is one more tool in the tool-box which gives law-enforcement a chance to do what we asked them to do.
One of the last places on earth which ought to be in a position to scoff at this technology is Jamaica.
Jamaica has one of the world’s highest murder rates, on par with Mexico Colombia and a few others, the camera you see above was destroyed by criminals in down-town Kingston. the cameras were placed there without a plan, they simply placed them there without ironing out the details, or having an understanding of who would monitor the footage from them.
The Jamaica Gleaner reports that there has been a tussle of sorts, between the private sector, the police and the Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation regarding who should monitor the cameras. Before you lose your mind in bewilderment, let me inform you that the police asked the private sector to pay for the project to help them help them the business people as the government cannot afford to pay for anything. Excepting of course the luxury SUV’s that Portia Simpson Miller and her band of ministers travel around in.
The private sector wants to leverage the footage , because They are footing the bill and they allege they do not trust the police. The private secor like the government and police has criminals in their ranks and will do anything to remain in the shadows. If you are not completely bewildered about this horse-and-pony show you should be, criminals understanding what is going on decided to shoot out the cameras, what irony.
Every day we report on what is happening in Jamaica, yet the Jamaican Government and the tourist board continue to lie to people , seducing them with false platitudes about the Jamaica you know and love. The fact is that Jamaica of yesteryear exist no more, the country is floundering like a ship without a rudder. The United States Senate select committee looking into the lotto scam referenced this very point recently.
The task of monitoring CCTV footage is one for law enforcement period. What is there to talk about, where are these morons from? If the police cannot be trusted, disband the force and start anew. My question for the private sector in light of such bull is “where would these new officers come from” in light of Jamaica’s abysmal 84 % corrupt rating by transparency international? The problem was compounded when the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation refused to give permission for street lights in the commercial district to be outfitted with cameras which would have been purchased with private-sector money.
This is laughable, the KSAC and it’s Councillors are political hacks many of whom are engaged in serious criminal activity, these are the people who have the power of yea and nay to determine whether crime gets controlled in Jamaica.
Since the Government refuses to act as a government should, by leading on the measures necessary to lower crime in Jamaica, we will be forced to do what we can to lobby interests in the United States regarding tourism and money.
The impotent and corrupt Government of Simpson Miller simply lacks the will to take the steps necessary to curtail and control crime in this small country of 2.8 million people. The criminals know it the prime minister has no clue, it will require people in the diaspora to band together to lobby critical sectors of the American Establishment to apply pressure to get the changes we need to rescue Jamaica from the death grip of crime government incompetence and criminal collusion.