After decades of accusations of being soft on crime, the Jamaican Government has finally decided to try something different. They realised that the age-old ideas and strategies, which were downright failures for P J Patterson’s People’s National Party and Bruce Golding’s Jamaica Labour Party, will not become magically effective for Andrew Holness simply because they want them to be.

The era that witnessed our Government’s embrace of reactive policies in crime fighting, as opposed to proactive ones, may be coming to an end and Jamaicans worldwide are celebrating. The population was remarkably disgruntled and the excitement of the Government’s ‘bright idea’ has them waiting with eager anticipation.

The zone of special operations Bill seeks to increase the number of police officers in areas dubbed ‘special zones’ and allow them to search people or property in these specific locations, without a warrant, as long as there is reasonable suspicion of guilt. This sounds like a sensible idea, doesn’t it?

It appears to provide an increased chance to gather vital surveillance and may attempt to strike fear in the blackened hearts of potential murderers and scammers.

In reality, however, this crafty plan — which may generate severe human rights issues when the free movement of people is restricted — will end up scattering criminals all over the country. Instead of complaining of scammers in Montego Bay, or gang shootings in downtown Kingston, the entire country may end up in the grips of these monsters, and areas that were once deemed safe will become crime-infested cesspools. In essence, while Norwood in Montego Bay, for example, is getting cleaned up, surrounding communities and parishes will play unwitting hosts to fleeing criminals. They will simply move their operations elsewhere until their main area ‘cools down’.

Nevertheless, a report conducted by the New York University School of Law recorded in a publication titled What Caused the Crime Decline revealed that an increase in police presence in a specific area may reduce crime. The fact that such a report was necessary is baffling, though, based on the fact that conspicuously when criminals notice an increase in law enforcement in their area they are likely to commit less crime. Unfortunately for the special zones Bill, the New York University report also revealed that the decrease in crime is usually only around five per cent. However, this is better than doing absolutely nothing, or continuing with the same failed policies.

Let us hope they do it correctly. The police should act expeditiously within the first 24-48 hours of an area being declared a special zone in order to reduce the number of absconders; and stop and frisk should be introduced.

The bottom line is, whilst anything accomplished will be short-lived, I welcome zones of special operations because they reveal that our politicians are becoming more advanced in their approach to predicaments Jamaicans face on a daily basis and they may prove effective against some infractions.

I pray our Government will experience more ‘light bulb’ moments because Jamaica’s problems far supersede anything that law enforcement alone can handle and are as a result of deep-seated issues stemming from economic and social ills. Everything else will be like placing a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound.

Sashakay Fairclough is a barrister and freelance journalist. Send comments to the Observer or sashakayfairclough@gmail.com.