Dear Editor,

After 50 years, you people are joking!

Talk of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) discussing the root causes of crime is an idea whose time has passed and adequately covered and previously presented by Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI) at The University of the West Indies.

Is the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica prepared to recommend that its members and Government come up with a plan of job sharing and a five-hour workday; two people working on the same project and tasks being split in a 10-hour day.

Instead of expanding the police and military, expand the reserves and call up needed skill sets. Put our youth to work in the national service to validate each other, have them work especially in the areas of the Jamaica Combined Cadets Force, expanding to sea cadets, civil air patrols, and a high school for law enforcement and forensics as well as another for the medical arts or other needed technical skills.

Such a change of direction will cure job shortages and bring about safer cities and smart cities as they expand.

Do not waste any more time with political gymnastics.

Then, initiate a reconciliation commission and expose the sanctioned murders and corruption.

Herbert Nelson Jr

Board Chair, Regional Security

Institute of Caribbean Studies

Washington, DC, USA

hanelsonjr@yahoo.com