Parents who try to be friends with their children without the appropriate discipline find out real fast that they do as they please and are never friends with them.
Governments that acquiesce to the principle of ‘anything goes’ find out real fast that people with a bent for flouting laws will do so indiscriminately when allowed to do so.
It begins with what appears to be mundane and insignificant things-but they have vast consequences for how the citizens of any country respond to rules.
For example, on my recent trip to Jamaica, I was stunned that there was zero police traffic enforcement. The police have all but ceded the streets to the unruly drivers.
Taxis, buses, and private motor vehicles overtake on the left, on the right, around corners, up hills, irrespective of road markings against such behavior.
Cars, buses, and minivans have colored headlights, some blue, some red, some amber, and some blinking, creating immense confusion to motorists not used to the different colored blinking headlights. All of this added to the maddening circus of confusion and chaos.
How can anyone convince me that these practices cannot be outlawed in a single day’s sitting of the Parliament? Which would effectively allow the police to remove these scofflaws from the streets?
The sad reality is that there is no desire from those entrusted with the safety and security of the nation. Either they have no idea how to rein in the madness, or they are too afraid to take the necessary steps to correct these basic issues.
On the one hand, the government is too timid to take the bold steps, while the opposition party relishes in the chaos, hoping to ride it back to power.
If the government cannot bring sanity to the streets through strong enforcement, how can the Jamaican people have any hope that there will be a return to any appearance of normalcy as far as the wanton murders are concerned?
I traveled the Edward Seaga Highway quite a bit on my recent trip. The posted speed limit is generally 80 kilometers along the highway, with a few exceptions.
Drivers flew by me at speeds in excess of 140 kilometers with no concern that they would be apprehended.
On two occasions, I saw a police highway patrol unit, and of course, they offered zero deterrent to the madness.
The officers were parked and out of the patrol vehicle chatting as the traffic whizzed by them at breakneck speed.
On the night before Christmas Eve, I was in Ochi Rios square, and it was the same madness, one police vehicle parked on main street with blue lights flashing.
I was curious why the officers had their lights flashing. As my car drew closer, I realized that both officers were on their cell phones chatting casually as if they had no care in the world.
The flashing lights were the deterrent effect I imagined. I drove on by and minded my business.
Preliminary reporting suggests that the country ended 2021 with 1,463 murders.
That number does not include those killed and dumped that the police have no clue about, and it also does not include people shot or otherwise wounded who die at a later time from those injures.
Nevertheless, the 1463 number represents an average of 4.008 Jamaican murdered daily. In simple terms, Jamaica continues to be one of the most dangerous places on earth to live.
Last year saw homicides increase in most police divisions by as much as 60% in some cases. The Government’s strategy of SOEs and ZOSO’s has had little or no measurable effect on violent crimes. There is really no benefit in saying we told them it wouldn’t.
Nevertheless, the Opposition party’s criminal supporting intransigence has precious little to do with principle or that they have better ideas. The opposition’s refusal to support the extension of the SOEs and ZOSOs is all about being part of the crime enhancement cabal that includes the judges and the criminal rights loudmouths that are destroying Jamaica.
The opposition party has zero compunction about seeing the country burned to the ground, and they are quite happy to govern over the ashes. Having access to the people’s money has always been the singular focus of the opposition party.
However, the PNP is not in power now, and it is the responsibility of the administration in power to govern.
It is not governing.
It hasn’t looked outside the box, so the killings continue unabated. If they can’t fix the chaos on the roads, how would I expect them to attend to the violent crime pandemic?
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Mike Beckles is a former Police Detective, businessman, freelance writer, black achiever honoree, and creator of the blog mikebeckles.com.