Dear Editor,

While it has been reported that the nation has experienced an overall drop in crime, St James, in the past few months, has recorded a high rate of murders; to be exact a 27 per cent increase compared to last year at the same period. This occurrence is alarming to the residents and it, sadly, seems to be continuing unabated, with no immediate end in sight to the incidents of this nature.

What this has done further is to push fear into the minds of residents of the parish, which may carry crippling effects for commercial activities in the parish. As the occurrence of the incidents are reported,we have had the ceremonial visit by the prime minister, the minister of national security, the commissioner of police, the attorney general, and the Members of Parliament in the parish. They have been to the scene of the incidents and had community members recount the tales, as seen on television, with not much else.

At the outset, the present Government might have realised that crime and violence were going to be serious challenges. Its promise for bold and decisive measures to tackle crime have so far included the death penalty and the now disputable state of emergency in whatever form. Is it that the Ministry of National Security and the commissioner of police have no other available and effective options in their hats? For that would be sad and spell doom.

The Guild of Students, The UWI, Western Jamaica Campus calls on the government and national security advisors and strategists to go back to the drawing board, as there must be other efforts that can be taken to mitigate the surge in murders and shootings. No more press releases or conferences about the social problems attenuated to crime in Jamaica. We know this already. Until the social problems that give rise to crime are fixed we will not have the overall reduction. As the commissioner of police theorises something must be done.

As far as the guild is concerned, at the next occurrence of tragedy in St James we don’t want a press conference or television or radio interview on the matter for it effects nothing. Come with a plan in the short term.

Hats off to the Youth Organization for Upliftment for “standing in the gap” and taking the initiative to organise a peace march and gathering for Monday, July 18, 2016, starting at 5:00 pm at Sam Sharpe Square.

Ojay Duhaney

Guild President

The University of the West Indies

Western Jamaica Campus

uwiwjcguildpresident@gmail.com