THE EDITOR, Sir:

THE GLEANER has reported that some 27 persons were shot in the month of July by policemen, and my gut feelings tell me it is more.

In any event, I watch and listen each night where without fail the story of the police and the story of the citizen never changes. The person killed is always innocent and no one knows him to be a gunman. The police, on the other hand, will never shoot an individual in cold blood. It is always that someone points a gun at them or there was a shoot-out and the person was shot and killed.

Never mind that the person is sometimes shot in the back or the back of the head. Never mind that there are multiple shots at close range. It seems both sides continue to treat the public as if we are imbeciles.

Failure to serve

What I do know to be true is that the police in Jamaica have for a long time failed to serve, protect and reassure. Too many Jamaicans are being killed and the crime scene compromised. If there had been a shoot out, why not let the proper authorities investigate? Each time persons are killed the same officers who kill them remove them from the scene.

The Government must fulfil its mandate to clean up the police force. It must fulfil not only its election promise to the people of Jamaica to protect their human rights, but must, in the spirit of the Constitution, ensure that an individual's right to life is protected. Too often policemen behave like outlaws, violating the rights of citizens and there is never any 'justice' as the people continue to cry.

Unacceptable behaviour

The commissioner of police must take charge of the men and women under his command who continue to maim and kill fellow Jamaicans. Surely this kind of behaviour cannot continue in a civilised society. While I recognise the fact that the commissioner may need more power to discipline and remove some officers, surely, there is much more that he can do to protect the lives of citizens.

Each time I hear of a police officer killed condolences flow from the minister of national security but never when citizens are murdered. Why have a minister of justice without a clear mandate as to the role in ensuring justice for our fellow Jamaicans?

So while we celebrate the successes of our athletes and the country is decked in black, green and gold, communities continue to be washed in blood, compliments of our law-enforcement officers.

I am, etc.,

Harold Bruce Malcolm

Attorney-at-Law

bruce_26@hotmail.com