THE US$20,000 reward being offered by the police for the capture of former Tivoli Gardens don, Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, has inevitably stirred debate about whether the amount is adequate.

The question is always going to be what amount of money is enough to motivate Jamaicans to assist in the capture of someone, like fugitive Coke, who is widely believed to be able to offer more to hide his whereabouts. For that reason, while we do not oppose it, we are not a great fan of the idea of placing rewards on the heads of wanted persons.

We are very aware that the offer of money can serve as motivation for some. But we sincerely hope that the need to bring Mr Coke to justice will supersede any other motivation.

The attempt by the police to arrest Mr Coke to face extradition proceedings has been met with a vile attack on the State, causing death and mayhem on a scale we have never before seen in this country. If for no other reason, he must be made to face the law. Justice demands it.

All law-abiding Jamaicans have a duty to do whatever we can to help the security forces in the apprehension of Mr Coke and his supporters. Moreover, we all have a civic duty to assist in the arrest of all other criminals who have wreaked so much devastation on our beloved country. This cannot be about money, for man cannot live by bread alone.

We also get no comfort from the feeling that the decision by the police to place a bounty on the head of Mr Coke might have been a sign of desperation and frustration over the fact that the fugitive has eluded them for so long. Someone knows where he is but is not telling. And the determined effort by the security forces to flush him out has not borne fruit; despite the perception that Jamaicans are anxious to see crime brought under control.

We say desperation because even the announcement of the reward appears to have been without much thought. It reads: “A reward of US$20,000 is being offered by the police for the capture of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, the former gang leader of Tivoli Gardens. The police would like to find Coke to execute a warrant of arrest issued by the courts of Jamaica for him to face extradition proceedings. Coke is wanted by United States law enforcement agencies for drugs and gun running. Persons knowing the whereabouts of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke can contact Operation Kingfish at 811, Crime Stop at 311 and Police Control at 119.”

By merely saying that the reward money is for the “capture” of Mr Coke, it leaves open the door for citizens to go after the fugitive who can be presumed to be armed and dangerous. Usually, such announcement, as we have seen in Crime Stop, is for information leading to the capture or conviction of the wanted person.

The possibility of ill-prepared citizens going after Mr Coke and getting hurt or even killed in the process is not something anyone would want to contemplate.

That aside, we wonder if the money would be given to a Coke crony who is also being sought by the police for crimes committed before, during or since the operation to arrest the former strongman.

Perhaps, the announcement was hastily done, which would support our view that there was desperation. But there is still time to fine-tune it… if we do it now.