The Criminal Justice System in Jamaica appears to be translated Justice for criminals nothing for the innocent. Let’s take stock of the reasons crime and violence are at all time highs on the Island Nation. As we contemplate crime we would be remiss in not trying to find the root causes, to better understand how to reduce, if not eliminate it. Every Jamaican should have a commitment to a Jamaica free of or at least, less inundated with crime. Unfortunately having seen views expressed on the subject I am not sure we are all committed toward the same goal. It is perfectly okay to differ on strategies and policy aimed at eradicating the cancer of crime. When we cannot agree on who to support in the debate, we know the country is in serious trouble. Any person may conduct a simple poll on social media, create your own topic eg.( “Man rape and kills 12-year-old child”)You may be surprised to find that a sizable percentage of respondents would blame someone other than the subject in question. If the conversation persist it would turn to total blame of the Police. How will this country turn around when it is clear that a large, if not overwhelming segment of the 2.6 million people support criminality. And those in the diaspora are hardly any better.
Poverty. Politics. Corruption. An Ultra-Liberal Judiciary.an immoral population are just some of the problems facing our country. How do we begin to turn around a place which seem to want to self-destruct? Politicians interfere in law-enforcement. Criminals are emboldened. Police transferred,demoralized.Criminal arrested , Court grants them bail. Criminal return to kill over and over after receiving bail on a multiplicity of separate murder charges. Police loses interest and do their own thing. The cycle continues. The biggest accelerant to crime is knowing one will not get caught or be made to pay for one’s crime.
The people in policy making are not total idiots, they understand what needs to be done. They also know it’s not in their interest to do it. A proficient and professional Police Department is bad for the health of Jamaica’s politicians. So they create a diversion. Allow crime to get out of hand . This causes the police to look more inept. Empower (indecom) to go after the police , crime increases. As we watch the watchman the criminals have a field day. This is a simple yet effective strategy which has worked particularly for the party which now forms the Administration. The Tragedy is that the brutality and dehumanizing nature of the crimes being committed will increase as criminals push the envelope with each crime they commit.