The leadership of the security forces seems imbued with new energy to deal more resolutely with the problem of crime in the country.

With the obvious cooperation of citizens, the police have been able to find and take off the streets some of the most lethal guns — some more fitted for military battle. This has brought some relief to the country that the police might finally be on to a strategy that may well see an abatement in the savage gun-related murders that have driven fear in the populace.

This is an ongoing project and one hopes that the appeal of the Government, supported by the Opposition, for people to inform the police when they know of guns in communities, for monetary compensation, is a step in the right direction. Of perhaps more important merit in the determination to contain murderous, violent criminality is the decision between the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) to form an anti-gang task force to search for and dismantle gangs whose members are seen as the prime movers of violent criminality in the country.

Police/military collaboration is nothing new. In our too-long history of fighting violent crimes, there has always been joint cooperation between the police and the military. This is certainly the case with the zones of special operations or when there is a state of emergency declared in targeted areas.

But this new endeavour seems to undergird efforts for which both branches of our security forces are now seized with a greater urgency to tackle crime fighting with a more strategic, clinical, intelligence-driven, and holistic approach rather than the eclectic and spasmodic approaches of the past. This column wishes them well.

Critical to this approach is the responsibility of citizens in assisting with the effort. As I have said in this space repeatedly, it will never be possible to bring crime under control without the robust support of the citizens. This is why I am encouraged by what appears to be the willingness of citizens to report on illegal guns in the community. The police cannot betray their sources, but it is clear that their success is a result of tips they have received from the public. Long must this continue.

Also, the protection of our territorial integrity is essential in the effort to prevent guns from entering the country. It is hard to believe that the guns coming into the country are just coming from the USA directly. In the guns for drug trade, it does not take a rocket scientist to know that there are third countries, especially Latin America — Colombia, Venezuela — and Haiti from which guns flow through our porous borders.

In my view, special attention ought to be paid to the south coast of the country. I have no intelligence on this, but I would wager that the sea border from Old Harbour to Clarendon to South Manchester (Alligator Pond) to Treasure Beach and on to Westmoreland is an area that needs to be watched or surveilled more robustly. The marine police need to be beefed up in this area. We should not spare any budgetary commitment to ensure that the marine police in conjunction with the JDF are given the support they need to do their work in this area.

There are some stirrings in the police that we may yet see a better day in our fight against criminals. Knee-jerk reactions never work. Studied, resolute, and well-considered strategies with public cooperation do. We must all be engaged in the effort.

Russia/Ukraine Invasion?

By the time this column is published, Russia might well have invaded its hapless but determined neighbour, Ukraine. Why should this concern us? For one, we have a few citizens living in that country, although the order has been given by the Government for them to leave in the wake of a Putin attack against the country. Also, any invasion of Ukraine will entail a large-scale effort which is bound to affect international commerce and may well exacerbate the supply chain problems which the world has been experiencing since the pandemic.

This would lead to an escalation of prices, especially petroleum. Most worrying is that one never knows how a major war will play out. One cannot rule out the possibility of major powers like the United States being drawn into a protracted conflict in the region, along with its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In such a conflict one cannot ignore the implications of a nuclear catastrophe when countries with nuclear bombs are shooting at each other.

One hopes that good sense will prevail and that Putin will see the folly of attacking his neighbour, which only wants to be left alone to enjoy its sovereign rights like any other nation. Putin’s egotism has already been rewarded with leaders giving him audience in hope of averting a horrible tragedy. As all bullies tend to do, he has painted himself into a deep corner. One hopes that a diplomatic solution can be found that gives him an off-ramp and thus avert war, but the options seem to wane with every passing day.

Dr Raulston Nembhard is a priest, social commentator, and author of the books Finding Peace in the Midst of Life’s Storm and Your Self-esteem Guide to a Better Life. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or stead6655@aol.com.