Police enquiries

This attempt to establish an independent police enquiry board to investigate allegations of police brutality really baffles me. I believe some persons are deliberately putting forward some red herrings to confuse the issue.

There exists such a body in England and, I can assure you, no formal training is required. It is based on a principle similar to jury service. A number of responsible, upstanding citizens are chosen to scrutinise the evidence and come to a conclusion based on that evidence. A decision would then be taken as to whether it should go further.

By all means, the police should be involved in the discussions leading up to the formulation of this body, but they can never be part of the enquiry team. K.D. Knight is absolutely right.

- A.N. McLean, Kingston 8

Why wait?

There is one question I have to ask, seeing so much bloodshed. People have been slaughtered, like animals, put in bags and children raped with their heads cut off. What are we waiting for to restore capital punishment?

Why is it that all those gunmen are just locked up in prison and we do not make them work to build the country? We just lock them up and feed them then let them out tomorrow and they come out to kill more people. A politician has to be slaughtered before we open our eyes?

Something has to be done.

- Concerned Citizen

On JPS bills

Over the last six months, Jamaica Public Service bills have been going to the point where it is impossible to plan a payment schedule, much less try to figure out how these costs are derived.

I am an individual with little or no income and, yet, my bills have consistently gone higher. How am I to plan for them when this continues to happen? I do believe it's time for the Government to look into setting a fixed rate for the fuel charge. The company should set a rate for fuel cost which run for a time and be reviewed, say, every three months, instead of having it adjusted every month, which makes it impossible for the customer to plan for the next bill.

This would enable more transparency and be easier for JPS/customer relations.

- Keith A. Dennis,

Reading, St James

Test for Portia

Congratulations to the leader of the Opposition, Mrs Portia Simpson Miller, who won the People's National Party (PNP) leadership race recently. Her new shadow Cabinet, which consists of a mix of some young, brilliant minds and others with past political experience, is a progressive step forward.

They have has a mammoth task ahead, including the reuniting of the party at this time of its 70-year-old history. Mrs Simpson Miller's courage and strength must be respected. However, her true mettle will now be tested as she gets the PNP into a viable opposition.

- Valentine Pearson, Cornwall Courts, Montego Bay