Garth Rattray
IN SPITE of our anti-crime efforts and the appointment of DCP Mark Shields, our murder rate has risen significantly since last year. Some cops are of the view that he hasn't made a drop of difference while others believe that were it not for his presence, the murder rate would be even higher than it is today.
His detractors say that he is beyond his depth and devoid of new ideas. But, his supporters assert that he has instituted proper investigative procedures and sound evidence-gathering techniques. They further say that (notwithstanding the pre-existence of police hotlines and rewards), since he released his telephone numbers, a significant number of illegal firearms have been taken off the streets. They attribute this to the trust that our people have in him as an outsider who is uncorrupted by the system, apolitical and impartial. His only interest appears to be in getting his job done.
Although I know that there are positive aspects to recruiting overseas police officers, I am haunted by vestigial misgivings about appointing foreign security personnel to the Jamaican Constabulary. Our crime situation is unique. Like us, the British have a serious illegal drug and gang problem but the British people share little else in common with our society. Our crime problems have more in common with the inner cities of the United States of America. Our proximity to the U.S.A. exerts a strong influence over our culture, entertainment, psyche, economy and criminality. Our people absorb and emulate the good and (unfortunately) the bad that emanates from the U.S.A.
I happen to know many people who have been 'dipped' from the U.S.A. back to Jamaica. Most of them were victims of bad influence, bad company, bad times or bad choices and have reverted to their law-abiding ways. Some, however, choose to continue in their nefarious activities and establish criminal empires to our detriment. They were 'educated' by North America's vicious criminal underground and (paradoxically) in their criminal justice system. It therefore seems to me that if we are serious about fighting crime, we should also recruit police chiefs from the U.S.A. who are accustomed to combating inner-city gangs.
CULTURAL DISPARITIES
The cultural disparities between Jamaica and Britain become even more evident when one considers our deeply rooted gun culture, our endemic indiscipline, our penchant for violence, our lack of patriotism, our oppressive poverty, underpaid police and pervasive politics. The ravages of poverty and the oligarchy of the dons also contribute to lawlessness.
Furthermore, while British cops have retained the trust and respect of their citizenry, the trust in our constabulary has been eroded by corruption, the abuse of power, and accusations of extrajudicial killings. No longer are our policemen and women seen as respected pillars of society and decent, upstanding citizens who may be consulted on everything from family disputes to legal procedures. Now, at a time when our people need leadership the most, many believe that although we have a preponderance of decent, hard-working cops, our local police force is so tainted that they just don't know who to trust.
Visiting Scotland Yard officers and community advisors from Operation Trident's Independent Advisory Group (IAG) shouldn't have to tell us what we already know all too well, that "Jamaican police need to sign up to greater community cooperation". Commenting on the identification of the killers of four policemen earlier this year, DCP Shields waxed candidly when he said, "I have to say also that we got immense support from the public". Everyone knows that without 'intelligence', the police are impotent. Without informants, we would have no hope of bringing criminals to justice.
True, our police need to continue working to regain the trust of our people but crime solutions go way beyond imported cops, strong policing and informants. If we want foreign help in fighting crime we must also recruit social work experts. We must seek funding for schools, community-based projects and for the construction of factories. We must emancipate dependent communities from the grasp of politicians and dons. It's about time that we equip inner city residents with the wherewithal for true independence.
Dr Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice.
