The police will launch a new campaign to target bus breaches this week. - File

The police Traffic Division has warned that it will be redoubling efforts to clamp down on the illegal playing of songs and movies in public buses and taxis, in the wake of a raging national debate over X-rated music.

Superintendent Claude Reynolds, the man in charge of the Traffic Division, said the police were fine-tuning details on a new campaign to eradicate such breaches.

"We have zero tolerance for the playing of music on public transportation and if they are caught, they are prosecuted," Reynolds told The Gleaner Monday.

These persons can be charged a minimum of $5,000, he said.

Numerous complaints

He conceded that the department had received numerous complaints over the years, but had not been able to stem the practice.

"We have met as a group and redesigned the strategies so that we can have a halt to this problem," he argued.

The new policies, Reynolds said, are expected to take effect by the end of this week.

The playing of dancehall music laden with erotic themes has reportedly been a drawing card for many high schoolers who flock to both legal and illegal transport operators. Police clampdowns over the years have been mostly sporadic and largely ineffective.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commandant Olga Percy of the Island Special Constabulary Force said one of the main reasons for the mushrooming of the illicit practice was failure on the part of commuters to report incidents to the police.

"Sometimes the only way we know is if persons who ride in these vehicles lodge complaints. Then we would set up an operation to catch them and deal with the issue accordingly," Percy told The Gleaner Monday.

She further stated that the prevalence of deeply tinted windows on motor vehicles was also hampering effective policing.

"No law prevents the tint, so when the windows are closed, we can't know what's going on.

"However, we will try to ensure that all motorists using public transportation comply with the rules," she said.

She said the police often confiscated radios and CD players from drivers who committed breaches.

Administrative clerk at the Operations Department of the Transport Authority, Robert Mills, stated that while the organisation was working assiduously to curb the problem, it was bombarded with challenges, including having to return radios to operators.

Mills also said cases are sometimes thrown out because insubstantial evidence is provided by traffic inspectors.

Unacceptable behaviours

Clarke

Meanwhile, Children's Advocate Mary Clarke said sexually explicit music played by the public transport operators encourage unacceptable behaviours.

"These music genres promote early sexual practices and violence in our youths, so the agency is working diligently to call on the authorities to address the matter," Clarke said during an interview two days ago.

She pleaded for commuters to cooperate with the police and report busmen and cabbies who play X-rated material.

On Friday, the Broadcasting Commission banned the airing of songs deemed violent or sexually explicit on TV and radio, as well as on local cable stations. The commission particularly targeted the new rave dubbed 'daggerin', which involves aggressive quasi-erotic posturing.

nadisha.hunter@gleanerjm.com