The Editor, Sir:

I would like to add my voice to those individuals who are against the government's intention to extend the time police can detain an individual pending investi-gation.

The current law allows a person to be detained for up to 48 hours. This law is routinely abused as I am personally aware of a recent case where an individual was held for seven days and was thereafter released without being charged or an apology.

He remained incarcerated only because his family was poor and could not afford an attorney.

No additional time

I submit that allowing the police additional time to hold suspects will not reduce crime but will make it more difficult to solve crimes.

There is no doubt that the only individuals who will be detained for an extended period are the poor, illiterate and disenfranchised, persons who should, in the first instance, receive the most protection from the state.

The police recently issued a list of wanted persons whom there are unable to locate. In addition, the police are unable to identify the perpetrators of most of the crimes committed in this country.

If the police are unable to locate persons, who they actually have reasonable cause to believe have committed crimes, and are unable to identify perpetrators of crimes, then why should they be given the power to detain persons they may have 'suspected' of committing crimes?

The force, with all its problems (corruption, incompetence, lack of resources, etc), should not be given any additional power, nor does it need any additional power.

We should not give up either on anyone's promise of safety, an illusion in the first instance.

I am, etc.,

PERCIVAL A. CLARKE

percivalclarke@hotmail.com

Half Moon Post Office

Montego Bay