Dear Editor,

I write in response to the report about a 16-year-old-boy allegedly taken away from his Tivoli Gardens home by the police during the state of emergency and who has not been seen since.

If the report is true, we all should be extremely concerned about the whereabouts and well-being of this boy, who was last seen more than four months ago. According to the boy’s mother, she is unable to get any information about her son’s whereabouts because the police officer in charge of the case is on vacation.

It is inconceivable that no one else at the police station was willing to offer assistance to a desperate mother seeking help in finding her child. I would assume that when people are detained or arrested in Jamaica, their names, fingerprints, detention facilities and other information are entered into the police database. Why is this mother having such a hard time getting information about her son’s whereabouts? The delay is unacceptable.

In a land where parents regard children as their greatest blessing, it must indeed be agony for a mother to see her son snatched away by the police. The police are empowered by law to protect the lives and property of citizens. The public has entrusted the police with power and authority to detain citizens accused of committing crimes until there are judicial hearings to determine those citizens’ guilt or innocence. Police personnel are expected to be honest, truthful, fair and dedicated to the rule of law.

Several months have passed since the teen disappeared without explanation. I cannot imagine what his parent is going through. There is nothing more valuable to us than our children and loved ones because they are the future of Jamaica and the world. So when a child is missing from their family, we must commit all of our resources, time and talent to making everyone aware of this loss and the need for the child to be returned to his family safely.

As for the police, I think they must stop the intolerable foot-dragging and provide the boy’s mother with all information necessary for finding her son.

There are decent, law-abiding citizens who reside in volatile communities. The police must not undermine them.

Neville Carnegie

nevilcar32@yahoo.com