From left, Gomes, Keane, Coke-LLoyd and Lopez
Gareth Manning, Gleaner Writer
IMPROVED JUDICIAL services, more effective policing strategies, less corruption and better social support programmes are among the major issues Jamaica needs to address in order to tackle violence and crime effectively, women leaders contend.
Violence against women accounts for a large number of cases, especially at the resident magistrate's level.
Cases of incest, carnal abuse, domestic violence and other assaults are prominent during the hearings.
Executive Director of the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF), Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd believes that the island's judicial infrastructure needs to be improved and better managed.
"The structure of courtrooms needs to be revamped." This, she argues, is keeping away jurors and even witnesses, and threatens the equity of the judicial system.
The unsanitary conditions of the bathrooms and other facilities at the major courthouses have drawn media attention, most recently during the Kraal trial. The absence of basic amenities makes it an uncomfortable situation for jurors and court workers alike.
On the matter of policing, Mrs. Coke-Lloyd sees serious issues with the recruitment process and hence investigations sometimes are not effectively carried out.
"I think we are probably recruiting persons who apply for the jobs and so you're taking the so-called best you have. They might not be suitable for the job," she says.
"Government should consider the introduction of psychometric testing for police as it gives a good perception of whether the person is able to manage the workload." the JEF director proposed. A psychometric test is a test that assesses the individual's abilities and aptitudes.
Politicians must play their part
The weeding out of corrupt politicians is also high on the women's to-do list. President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), Beverly Lopez, wants Parliament to set stiff sanctions against politicians who do not abide by the political code of conduct as outlined in the PSOJ's Declaration of Emancipation Park in May last year. Among other things, the document states that politicians should not knowingly associate with criminals.
"What is going to be the next set of actions from abstaining? Both leaders (political parties) gave their commitment, and when they said yes, sanctions would be used for not signing and I haven't seen that yet," she laments.
The Church has a role
Mrs. Coke-Lloyd believes the Church can also play a more active role in the fight against violence and crime as well as curbing political corruption.
"Our churches have been very instrumental in stopping flexi time and casinos. It's a powerful institution. So it means it has the power to engage and to influence in many different spheres," she says.
The island's churches boast female-dominated congregations. Women at all levels are exposed to domestic violence and sexual harassment.
"In our church, we have a discipleship programme 'The Government of Twelve', where women can be ministered to. This is one sure vehicle where they can find confidentiality, love, support, spiritual and emotional help with significant results. Churches also have qualified counsellors who assist." Pastor Joye Keane of Family Church on the Rock, Montego Bay, said.
"I have found that women in extreme cases go directly to the crisis centre or the other authorities. These are important and very effective. However, we want persons with these issues to know that the Church is an alternative and that there are qualified counsellors equipped to deal with their problems," she said.
The police have a role
Executive director of the human rights group Jamaicans For Justice, Dr. Carolyn Gomes, says policing methods in Jamaica are ineffective and have been for nearly 40 years and are responsible for Jamaica's increasing murder rate. Nearly 1,700 persons were murdered in Jamaica last year.
She points out that the spate of police killings is not helping to reduce the level of crime in society.
"Last year, we had the highest number of police killings in six years and it went very nicely together with the highest rate of crime. The faster you shoot them is the more they will shoot you. They are very ineffective strategies," she says. Accusations of police shootings of innocent victims, including children, were frequent in 2005, but official statistics are yet to be reported on the issue.
Dr. Gomes adds that building trust between the public and the police force needs to be incorporated in crime-fighting strategies.
In this regard, she says what needs to be done is not a creation of new anti-crime squads but an imposition of the law on both police and citizens.
"We will raise public awareness about how ineffective the policing strategies, which have involved abuse of rights, have been to date. We have been practising them for 30, close on 40 years, and they have resulted in an increasing murder rate. And so that will continue to be our focus to encourage those in the position to do something, to do it," she says.
"Policing cannot operate in vacuum. If you have a massive distrust of the justice system across the society and a belief that it will not produce justice, then you get what we've been getting: increased incidents of mob violence; increased incidents of retaliation," she says.
Government and private sector have a role
Instituting more and better social programmes are apt ways women leaders believe the Government can deal with violence and crime in 2006. They feel by instituting social programmes, opportunities for hope for young people can be created. Young people make up the bulk of Jamaica's crime offenders.
With a safe society, private investments will create more jobs and chances for social advancement for women and men alike.
Dr. Gomes and Mrs. Lopez spoke highly of the Partnership for Progress project. The programme was set up in 2003 among private business organisations and the Government to arrive at the necessary consensus, design and implement tangible measures to move the economy forward, create jobs and investment opportunities and improve governance.
However, the support from trade unions has been disappointing Mrs. Lopez says. "The confederation had initially expressed satisfaction with the programme, but their position seems to have changed."
"I am disappointed the unions have not seen it fit to come to the table. We have said to the unions "Look guys, if you have problems with this document, let us know and we will take them out", because we believe it is so critical to creating a new form of governance and we would be willing to do that," Mrs Lopez said.
Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers General Secretary, Helene Davis-Whyte, says that the unions had some difficulty with the partnership because they did not believe there was enough committment from the private sector. " We were involved up to the ninth hour, but we felt that the committments from the private sector were not specific ... but the whole thing suffered in terms of timing."
