Dear Editor,

Oftentimes I wonder about the root of our crime problem in Jamaica. Each time the police shoots someone there is a witness or several witnesses no matter the location or time of day or night. How come, then, when criminals murder innocent people there are no witnesses?

The real question then is, are the witnesses in collusion with murderers? If so, why?

We are told in daily newscasts that the police know the violence producers, so why the hell are these criminals still free to roam and terrorise citizens? What about being proactive and go about finding and deactivating the warring factions that we keep reporting about in the media.

Since it is reported that we have over 200 gangs, it stands to reason that we must have an idea of their location, membership, range of activities and, most certainly, their leaders. So why are we not seeing weekly or daily raids on their hideouts and a rounding up of gang members and them being carted off to jail?

Many Jamaicans are aware that the Spanish Town bus park is a hotbed for extortion and, based on its location, anyone who knows Spanish Town knows that it is the Klansman Gang territory and feeding tree. It is time to put a stop to that! Wouldn’t the Government be better off collecting those fees from public passenger vehicles to improve the town than allowing criminals to extort and pocket millions weekly?

My other concerns are these: Since restoring order in the bus park is so difficult, why is it not manned daily by police and soldiers? Why is the bus park not properly fenced with concrete walls? Why are external closed-circuit cameras not mandatory for every business establishment in the park to assist police? Why not implement a cashless ticketing system so no money is exchanged by bus drivers to enter the park and anyone caught collecting or paying imprisoned? If order cannot be maintained at the current location why not lock it down and find a new, secure location?

When I analyse Jamaica’s crime situation closely, it does not seem insurmountable to me. If Government and the police have the willpower and vision it can be corrected. I fail to believe that a few criminals can outsmart the plans of an entire police force and army, or hold a duly elected government with the ability to make new laws hostage.

J Edwards

jdocforreal@gmail.com