Real leaders make tough decisions not spit on their fingers and turn to the wind. The burgeoning killing spree is out of control and the nation’s leaders in power refuse to take the steps necessary to end it.
On the other hand, the opposition party seeks to make hay of the situation rather than proposing workable solutions.
At this rate soon there will be no one left.
If you believe that the role of a Police Commissioner is purely administrative and that the most senior executive position in a police agency can be occupied by someone who has a couple of degrees in a discipline unrelated to policing; then I suggest the next time you need surgery ask the janitor to do it. (He may even do it on the cheap for you).
Conventional wisdom in Jamaica is that a person who has a degree in any subject automatically makes them an expert in all things.
It’s a really regressive thinking process, but that helps the ego of the people who labor to earn their degrees; they now get to feel good about themselves at the expense of the people who chose not to go that route.
Even as I continue to advocate for higher education,-education has precious little to do with earning degrees.
This brings me to my point; I am still surprised at the number of police officers and former members who actually believe that the present Commissioner of Police is right for the JFC.
Because real talk, the man was the head of the Jamaica Defense Force (JDF),so he must know how to be a better commissioner than the career officers, right?
(In fact, that experiment of former heads of the JCF taking over the force has really worked out well for the country).
Hardly Lewin. Trevor Mac Millan and now Antony Anderson, the awesomeness of that experiment has been astounding. (sarcasm)
Maybe the next time there is a fire, I will call the teachers to put it out. A lack of respect for all disciplines, and a healthy understanding that every category of workers is as important as the other, has been critical in deciding what the country is going through with violent crime.
Too many knuckleheads and too many talking heads had too much time on their hands, so a daily dose of anti-police invective both on radio and television for decades created generations that have zero respect for the rule of law.
That aside, senior leaders of the JCF have not comported themselves in a way that inspires and engenders trust in their leadership.
The corrupt practices of nepotism, political affiliations, news carrying, etc., have forced men to become boys. They jockey for advancement not on merit, but by currying favor with whomever they feel can best serve their selfish interest.
This facilitates a breakdown in morale and even worse results in a lack of respect from their juniors.
This has given cover to political administrations from both political parties to sideline senior leaders who would normally be in contention for the top spot.
And seriously, who amongst us could reasonably make a case for any of the top leadership of the force to come up with strategies that would begin to trend violent crime downwards.
So even as we rubbish bringing in former heads of the military, there is no argument to be made for someone from the present crop of Deputy Commissioners to become commissioner of police.
The present crisis necessitated the Prime Minister declaring that it is out of the scope of the JCF to handle and that the crime situation is now a pandemic.
Both statements are indeed true, three of the force’s officers cannot effect the arrest of a single subject, so there is that.
Even as Commissioner Anderson laments the high incidences of violent crime, quote,“We have a murder rate that persists at a level of 3 times our regional average and 8 times the global average.” ‑This writer is at least glad that he is starting to realize something that I have been banging the drums about for well over a decade in this medium.
Unfortunately, a commissioner of police who came up through the ranks, with the country facing this pandemic of murders, would have been long scapegoated and fired.
So as we continue to ‘give Tony a chance’ (more sarcasm), we are also painfully aware that he has gotten exponentially more grace than any of his predecessors who came up through the ranks. It is a bitter pill to swallow that someone coming from zero police knowledge, can potentially be better at policing tactics, training, personnel, leadership, strategizing, security,etc than career officers.
Having outlined the foregone, it is important to assert that at this point, it doesn’t matter who the commissioner of police is. With the lax laws in our country being what they are, and the judges aiding and abetting the shottas, this country is in for a bumpy ride.
(‘Many more will have to suffer, many more will have to die) Hon Robert Nesta Marley.
This writer has consistently called for stricter laws. Better training for our police. Longer sentences for criminals who commit violent crimes. Stricter gun laws send a clear message that gun crimes will not be tolerated. Mandatory minimum sentences remove from the judge’s control the length of prison time a violent offender receives. The Jamaican judiciary is a large part of the existential threat the nation faces.
Truth in sentencing, ten years must mean ten years locked away, unless offenders take measurable steps that demonstrate to a competent body that they are reformed.
It is cliché to argue that doing the same things brings the same results, but it is also true. Decisions that bring measurable positive results require tough choices that are not always popular. Since politicians depend on populism to get elected, it is natural that they shun tough decisions. This is not unique to Jamaica, but Jamaica has a particular strain of lawlessness that comes from its leaders’ cowardice and silent acquiescence.
Jamaica’s violent crime problem will remain until a national awakening recognizes that this is not in the nation’s interest. Until then, the police and military will continue to pour water into the basket and wonder why the water level never rises?
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Mike Beckles is a former Police Detective, businessman, freelance writer, black achiever honoree, and creator of the blog mikebeckles.com.