Dear Editor,

I heard on the news that the prime minister will be meeting multilateral organisations to explore dismantling garrison communities. While this is encouraging, I am afraid we will go back to the superficial analysis that throwing money at the problem will solve it.

I have long considered a possible way to reverse the trend and would like to give my suggestion to the prime minister. The garrison phenomenon is a fire that is fully ablaze and will continue to affect all in its wake, unless we cut a path that will starve it of its fuel. Lack of education and job opportunities are the main factors that lead young people to crime.

Once they are on the corner with no purpose to their lives, they are fair game for drug dons to recruit to become the next arm of terror or the next teenage mother.

My suggestion will have an impact not only on the inner-city communities but on the population in general.

The JDF is wasted in its current form. Its various camps and bases are ideal for campuses to be used to train young people in different disciplines.

Disband the military and retrain the young people in proper police procedures.

This will require expansion of the police force, but will also allow for more security personnel on the streets to maintain law and order. The military is already in the budget so additional cost would not be a factor.

Use the military camps as training facilities for young people in Jamaica. Make laws that require young people from age 16-21 to attend these institutions.

The only exemptions from this mandatory five-year training programme would be:

* High academic performance with approved plans for further studies.

* Parental affidavit to show support for involvement in family business, etc.

In other words, if the child shows the aptitude to excel in academics, he should be allowed to continue in traditional school. If the family is in business and is able to involve the child, then those children could be exempted.

Military personnel and others from civil society should be trained to carry out the function as disciplinarians, tutors and instructors.

Children would be evaluated to determine their areas of strength and be guided to areas best suiting their talents.

The benefit of this would be manifold.

(1) Remove the idle or insufficiently equipped people from the community so they are not drafted into the criminal network.

(2) Train them to become professionals in varied fields.

(3) Capture the under-performers from the school systems and develop a skill.

(4) Allow for more policing by having additional police within months by reorientation of the soldiers.

(5) A more educated and skilled population may even lead to exporting of skilled persons.

(6) Change the psyche of the young people and break the cycle of leaving school to hang out on the street corner.

Those participating in this programe will be living on base and may visit their families monthly or bi-weekly.

These suggestions are aimed at a long-term solution and would begin with youngsters in the country as early as next January.

Prime Minister, while you meet with multilaterals with a view to dismantling garrisons you need to address the next set of potential criminals and accomplices, due to lack of opportunities in the island. While you seek to grow the economy and create jobs, you need to stem the tide and give hope to the young people.

We need radical re-direction or we are doomed.

Noel Dawkins

noeldees@flowja.com