MONTEGO BAY, St James — A suggestion by state minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Homer Davis that the police have a sit-down with gangsters in order to counter spiralling crime, particularly murder, in St James has drawn support and opposition from two senior Government ministers.

“I do support Homer Davis that we need to encourage the gangs to meet at the table to work out their differences and to communicate, instead of fighting,” Justice Minister Delroy Chuck told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday after the newspaper’s report of Davis’s suggestion generated much discussion across the country.

“I support any mechanism to get the warring parties talking to one another,” added Chuck who, many years ago, had adopted a similar approach to reduce violence in the Grant’s Pen community in his St Andrew North Eastern constituency.

“When the warring gangs and dons were bringing chaos and carnage to Grant’s Pen we were able to get them to sit at the table and work out their differences, and it culminated in the various corners where gangs were participating in football and domino competitions,” Chuck recounted.

“And eventually, with support from many stakeholders, we were able to secure a lasting peace in the Grant’s Pen community, and I can say, to the best of my knowledge, there are no gangs or dons in Grant’s Pen or Barbican,” he added.

However, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang said he is not in support of his parliamentary colleague’s suggestion, stating firmly that he does not bargain with murderers.

“I have never negotiated with killers. I have said that publicly before, so that is not something new for me. It is a position I have had for a long time. I don’t negotiate with killers,” said Dr Chang who represents St James North Western in the Parliament.

Davis, who is also Member of Parliament for St James Southern, had made the proposal at a function in Montego Bay last Saturday against the background of police statistics showing that, between January 1 and June 6 this year, a total of 104 people had been murdered in St James, 26 more than the corresponding period in 2021.

“I am really agonising over how we intercede with the gangs that are really creating havoc in our space. I have a thought process… I think if we can get the combatants, the leaders of these groups, gangs together and put them in a space and say ‘Listen, tell me now where are you fighting for. Tell me what do you want, what do you need? What can we do to appease you?’” Davis told guests at the function held to welcome Superintendent Carlos Russell to the St James Police Division to act for Senior Superintendent Vernon Ellis, who is on leave.

My take on it is that the police have information on all the violence producers in the parish. Why don’t we start pulling them together, bring them together in a room and say ‘Listen, you are G6, you are G7, or you are 87. I am serious — what is the problem?’ If you have two children in the home that can’t live together, don’t you pull them together and say ‘Listen, what is the problem?’ argued Davis, who is an ex-cop.

Davis said that a different approach is needed to cauterise the rampant bloodletting in the parish but was quick to add that the police cannot tame the crime monster by themselves.

“We have a big problem. We have 300 active gangs across Jamaica, and to be honest with you, with the best will in the world the police alone can’t manage. Don’t mek we fool ourselves. If we have a police on every corner — which we can’t afford — I doubt if we would be able to manage it,” he argued.

“We have to develop different approaches. Legislation is good, but legislation is not the all. We have the anti-gang legislation and, as I have said over and over, if we continue on that same trajectory we are going to choke the justice system. You can imagine 60 members of various gangs before a court with 60 attorneys, with 60 cases?” he said.