Dear Editor,

The practice of the police examining motorists’ registration discs on windscreen and deciding if the number is authentic is a useful exercise. In that, with the level of technology now available, unscrupulous people may be able to create copies of documents looking like the original.

I, however, part company with this process when a police officer has that power to exercise some level of discretion in determining if a vehicle registration is readable.

First, because of slavery, discretion is one level of privilege most of us find exceedingly difficult to apply, especially if we believe these individuals are of low social standing. Secondly, this practice allows the police to determine if such a vehicle found with illegible display registration numbers may be seized and impounded until a replacement registration document is furnished from the tax office.

The police often to fail to apply discretion, and there are several untold stories. If we are serious about fighting corruption in Jamaica then we need to close these areas that lend themselves for people to find ways in legal processes to make profit.

Michael Clarke

Portmore, St Catherine

mm2clarke@yahoo.com