Dear Editor,

As long as our political leaders continue to hide what they know about crime and the linkages between crime and politics, we will continue to be embroiled in the controversey surrounding states of emergency (SOE).

When criminals know for sure that their political leaders know who they are but will say nothing or try to bring them to justice, they (the criminals) will continue to recruit our vulnerable youth for criminal activities and inflict mayhem on our communities.

It is often said that people, especially Jamaicans, know a thing or two because they have seen a thing or two and one thing they know for sure is that in Jamaica there is a direct link between crime and politics.

How many of our violence producers, over the years, have been recipients of government contracts, services, or interventions from their political leaders? Another pointed question to be asked is: How many of our violence producers have phone numbers for councillors, mayors, and Members of Parliament?

How many of our 228 councillors and 63 Members of Parliament can honestly stand before God and man and say my hands are clean?

One paradox of the fight against crime is that the very crimanals themselves are being used as a part of the solution as they are often tipped off long before any security interventions in their areas.

Modern-day criminals are no fools and if they know they are being shielded they will step up their game and test the extent to which they are allowed to operate.

The Government believes that SOEs are more effective than social intervention, although the data proves otherwise.

Which of the social classes stand to benefit more from criminality? Is it the political class, business class, or working class? One does not have to be a rocket scientist to know the answer.

Look at the demographical and geographical contexts in which the majority of the criminal activities are taking place – poor commumities with poor social and physical infrastructure with a plethora of unemployed, vulnerable youth.

Our political leaders feel that they are only answerable to man, who they can trick, but they have to answer to God, someday.

Fernandez Smith

fgeesmith@yahoo.com