Crime soars as Cabinet does not trust or empower citizens
To control crime we have to make the streets unsafe for criminals. If National Security Minister Robert Montague and Police Commissioner Carl Williams parse this sentence and apply it we may have the beginning of wisdom. I asked who would give up some rights to win against crime and some communities say yes; but Cabinet dithers.
The crime storm in St James should be no surprise as criminals follow money and the vulnerable. The news that MoBay is in for jobs, business; more decent, less alert, is out so short term. We must take back public spaces — stop and search to include tinted vehicles, curfew, cordon; discourage idlers from public spaces; eg use high frequency noise as “the mosquito” and ask decent citizens to apply for firearm permits. Job one is defensive; keep murderers in their lair and build public confidence to move around.
We are the crime capital of the world, so take no comfort that “only locals are killed!” Students came from abroad to do trauma specialty at Kingston Public Hospital and I was flattered until one told me his choice was Kingston or the West Bank war zone. We have been the most gratuitously violent place which is not at war; not a place for kids or old people. Just listen to how we engage normally: boisterous, stentorian. Abroad, as ‘bad wud fly’ we tell them this is the Jamaica way so white people do not call police.
Is this a legacy of Empire, African roots or our sojourn here in Tainoland? Our serial Cabinets allowed these tendencies to grow by emphasis on rights and entitlements with no equal time on being responsible and accountable. Politicians have a lot to answer for. Selah!
Cabinet is responsible for our safety. The ‘Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms’ guarantees us “the right to life, liberty and security of the person” (Act 12 of 2011), so we must use law to compel them to reorganise, replenish the police force and integrate us for effectiveness as we are the ones dying.
Rights groups must take Cabinet to the Privy Council for us. What of the long term? In the 70s crime was too hot to plan; so too in the 80s, 90s and ‘noughties’. Imagine if we had planned back then? All USA, UK, policing is local, eg New York, Chicago, London, here we have one colonial force for all Jamaica; does it work? Free the police to have county (or region) forces — Cornwall, Middlesex, Surrey — each with a chief of police (CEO) and commissioners (governance body) drawn from county security and civilian folk. A chief must drill down for solutions and data for the county. A high-level integrative National Commission will use comparative ratios to drive performance in each county. The UK has over 40 forces each with chiefs of police — London with 10 million is the plum job. Professional rivalry drives success. This is community policing taken to the next level. Note the FBI is USA’s national police all other forces are local.
Data is crucial. In New York or London policing is data driven and technology enabled. They innovate we must adopt or adapt. They have police databases and use others. Local councils use CCTV and licence plate recognition software to track motorists for fly tipping, parking, loading violations; police have speed cams; road agency traffic cams; news people, supermarkets have cams. Vehicle data can be accessed from a squad car; fine levied or vehicle impounded and crushed to a 2×2 briquette in 14 days. Detective work is 60 per cent data by local police as most criminals are local. Nobody owns national data it’s mostly fluff but county data has operational use. Last week’s stories of women gun butted as they did not get into a taxi; a man at his gate as the taxi pulled up “don’t look at me” — all robbed. Residents in the scheme cowered behind curtains. If a handful had the recommended long gun — different story! London police are able to triangulate and merge data sources — numerical, pictorial, verbal; granular detail from voters’ list, motor vehicle records; photos from local CCTV. Then nationally GCHQ which monitors millions of calls using complex algorithms and keywords may also assist.
Who should have a gun? In the UK, America the majority are white and have most guns. Here the majority are black and have few guns. Black politicians oppress us! To own a house or mortgage is a pledge to Jamaica and such should be offered permits for a recommended “long gun!” Every security minister got more cars, officers, technology, guns — did it work? The Scandinavian model of citizens bearing arms can work here. How many long guns with two rounds chambered can a criminal steal and carry? Yet a community with a dozen such would cause criminals to think twice. On Friday, a lady and her daughter were entering her gate when a gunman decanted a taxi “two a unnu cum inna di car now”, she pushed her daughter to the ground and took off with the gunman in pursuit licking shot. The cops were prompt; tired, a few bruises — they lived. This is Jamaica in 2016.
To run away is good defence as it’s difficult to hit a moving target. Jamaicans must not give in to paranoia or fear, but Cabinet must encourage and give permits to those who wish to defend families. One lady said the police were prompt; the miscreant had just left via the open land “see the bush still shaking”, but the officer would not leave his car so she offered to give chase if he would lend her his gun. We must consider a 21st century community militia or home guard. Safety in numbers is not just a cliché but crucial to community morale and dissipating fear — a silent killer. Some may die — many saved as empowering citizens is a multiplier to the police. Two officers assigned to 300 sensitive communities — who is whom, what, where can change things. Good crime fighting is small stuff caught early — mad taxi men too. I am ashamed for Jamaica; such beauty, such pain!
It is an affront to all I hold dear that, robbed and beaten, I am consoled by, “Thank God they did not kill you!” This is madness. Stay conscious!
Franklin Johnston, D Phil (Oxon), is a strategist and project manager. Send comments to the Observer or franklinjohnstontoo@gmail.com.