Most Reverend Charles Dufour.

Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

Roman Catholic Bishop of Montego Bay, the Most Reverend Charles Dufour, believes the nation has no choice but to keep up its fight against the circumstances that promulgate murders, the availability of guns and the penchant for lawlessness.

Speaking at Thursday's funeral for well-known Montego Bay churchman and accountant Renn Garfield Brown, who was recently murdered by gunmen in the western city, Bishop Dufour, made it clear that the nation cannot afford to adopt the posture that nothing can be done about the criminal onslaught.

"If we truly appreciate the consequence of crime and violence in bringing pain and grief to so many families, we have no choice but to try again to deal more effectively with the monster of murder, with the availability of guns and with our proneness as a people to violent words and means," said Bishop Dufour.

"We have to come together with greater trust from one another in tackling this social disaster," the bishop said. "After all, we do it almost automatically in every community and neighbourhood after a natural disaster, whether Hurricane Gilbert or Hurricane Dean. The crisis of crime and murder requires no less from us at the present time."

At the more structured level, Bishop Defour called for a bi-partisan approach to anti-crime plans and programmes in regards to the National Security Council, which comprises the Minister of National Security, government ministers and the head of the security forces.

Screened leaders

"It is now time that this National Security Council incorporate the opposition spokesperson on National Security and perhaps, as well, carefully screened leaders of civil society," said Bishop Dufour. "Clearly, with murder on the increase after each successive administration, one side alone directing national security is not enough."

In terms of social intervention, Bishop Defour called for a massive expansion of programmes, with input from Jamaica's international partners, to help improve the quality of life in inner-city communities

"The simple fact is that much of the international help in education, in health, in improving roads and communication will go to waste unless we rebuild these inner-city communities with less crime, less violence and more peace," said Bishop Dufour.

"Our own private sector has a big role to play in this area," continued Bishop Dufour, citing simple projects such as skill-training, affirmative employment programmes and holiday 'earn and learn' programmes.

Bishop Dufour also called for more foreign assistance to disrupt the Haiti/Jamaica ganja-for-gun trade through the greater use of technology. He also acknowledged the need to rid the police force of rogue policemen who might have criminal connections.

adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com