The Jamaican Government has embarked on what seems to be a strategic initiative to deal decisively with the Island’s crime monster bypassing what it calls the Zones Of Special Operations law (ZOSO).
Many Jamaicans from both sides of the sharp political divide see this as a good move.
Of course, the average battle fatigued Jamaican is willing to try anything which may have a shot at stopping the killings.
That’s all well and good but though desperate for solutions we cannot afford to be blinded to the faults and failings of this bit of legislation.
Over the last several years and months much of what has been done legislatively in the country has been more harmful than helpful to the process of crime reduction.
Among those Mis-steps are …
INDECOM
No one is opposed to oversight, certainly not for the JCF/JDF and Corrections.
What was cobbled together and authorized has had a chilling effect on law enforcement and is seen largely as a tool of support for the criminal underworld?
Pretending those police officers who are doing their jobs right have nothing to fear as stipulated by Terrence Williams the head of that agency is intellectual dishonesty and blatant and willful ignorance.
AMENDMENT TO THE JCF ACT
Using the Zones of Special Operations Act the Government has sought to use a backdoor method to limit what is a massive exodus of officers from the JCF.
That method is to criminalize cops who try to resign the department without giving 6 months advanced notice.
The Andrew Holness Government actually believe that this kind of heavy-handed disrespect will serve to stop attrition.
I can assure the Government that members who want to leave will simply walk away without even resigning.
Worse yet fewer people will want to sign up so if the administration wants to destroy the force it is well on track to doing so. The Force lose approximately 600 officers annually or 50 per month to attrition alone. That does not account for dismissals and retirements.
In fact, the JCF through Deputy Commissioner Clifford Blake recently admitted that the force is losing more people than it is able to recruit and train each year.
By that fact alone the JCF is at risk of recruiting even worse people into the department in order to have bodies.
This will have even worse consequences for its image and ability to deliver quality service.
ZOSO
“The law seeks to contain crime while safeguarding the human rights of residents and promoting community development through social intervention initiatives”[jamaican/gov]
Like most of my countrymen, I too wanted to give my support to whatever initiative the Government intended which may have a positive effect on crime.
Then the administration said the initiative was intended to contain crime without saying a single word about what they intend to do about the thousands, probably tens of thousands of guns in the hands of dangerous killers.
That’s where we parted company, those guns should be plucked from the hands of these killers one way or the other and they should not be paid to turn them in because what you are creating by doing so is to sanction a massive illicit gun trade with criminals.
If you cannot stop the guns coming in why would you be paying criminals to turn in their guns?
You cannot rebuild communities and change the paradigm if the very same people who are killing close to 7 Jamaicans each day still possess the means to do so.
FOR THE POLITICAL HACKS WHO REFUSES TO READ THE SOLUTIONS WE PROPOSE IN PLACE OF ZOSO
(1)You shore up the ports of entry, effectively stopping the guns coming in illicitly and you hold those gains.
(2) You tactically cordon the area you want to search then go in with trained Dogs to find the weapons and arrest the murderers.
(3) Stagger where the security forces go at any given time, it should not be based solely on the area with the highest number of killings.
By doing so you minimize the likelihood that your next move can be anticipated.
(4) Remove from the Prime Minister the power to decide where the security forces go in the ZOSO.
It matters not that the PM supposedly acts on the advice of the Security Council.
This Act hyper politicizes policing and gives the next party to hold power the ability to engage in tit-for-tat using the security forces to carry out their nefarious bidding.
As long as security operations are green-lighted by politicians those operations stand to be politicized.
(5) Stop granting bail to accused murderers.
(6) Stop demagoguing the security forces.
Use the airwaves to educate the people about the benefits of adhering to the rule of law.
(7) Stop giving the nation the impression that effective hard-nosed policing which arrest criminals and places them in jail is antithetical to citizens human rights.
The greatest right a person has is the right to life. You have no right if you are dead, as such the country must place it focuses on removing from its midst the mindless killers and throw its support behind law enforcement.
(8) Stop corrupting public officials, report police, and other public officials who ask for bribes.
Do not offer to bribe public officials.
(9) Enact truth in sentencing for certain categories of violent crimes.
Mandatory 25 years to life for murder.
This is absolutely necessary since the nation’s leaders have decided to go against the wishes of the people and have declared a moratorium on hanging.
Twenty years minimum for any crimes committed using a firearm.
(10) Look at the US Rico statute, and draft a law which models that statute effectively prosecuting gangsters as the Rico Statute does.
(11) Institute a mandatory National Identification program, law enforcement needs to be able to identify each and every Jamaican.
(12) Remove all political interference from law enforcement. What this administration is doing is even more political interference not less.
These are some of the solutions which will work to begin the slow reduction in the number of murders in our country.
None of these solutions singularly will do much to reduce crime, adopted as a policy position is the best way to attack the crime monster.
It’s now time for my critics to simply shut up about no solutions.
I have been proposing these measures for years now.
You cannot reasonably or credibly argue I haven’t proposed anything because you are a Laborite and you do not like my criticisms of the government, or you are too darn lazy to read.
You should not like them as a Comrade simply because you are in opposition today, you should embrace them because you are Jamaican and you want to see our country survive and succeed.
Not really concerned about the brainless ad-hominem attacks.