I am in total agreement with the commissioner of police in his mission to eliminate from the minds of law enforcement agents the thought that having bigger and more powerful guns is the solution to crime. Cops who are killed by criminals most of the time are not killed in shoot-outs with criminals, they are ambushed. The best protection that a cop can have is the protection of God and the love and respect of John Public.

A well-trained disciplined force, free of corruption, will increase the love and respect of John Public in leaps and bounds. After all, it is the distrust that John Public has for the police that prevents him from reporting criminal activities and criminals' whereabouts.

One of the concerns that I have heard John Public express is that if he reports something to the police it will not remain with the police, but the same police will run off his mouth as to who the informant is (this may or may not be true.)

John Public must view the force not as a group that exists to promote brute force and ignorance, who are there to intimidate. They must begin to view the police as an intelligent unit whose purpose is to protect them from danger. The police must become a part of the solution and not a part of the problem.

Positive perceptions produce positive reactions; negative perceptions, negative reactions. I am glad that the commissioner has the wisdom to see this and is working to change perceptions.

- Horace Buddoo, puppajesas@yahoo.com, Via Go-Jamaica