Dear Editor,

The problem with leaders, bosses, and supervisors in Jamaica is that they love to give their subordinates “basket fi carry water”, and when the leaks happen they blame the subordinates.

The article ‘Passing the buck: Smoking ban not being enforced’ in the Sunday, April 16 edition of the Jamaica Observer is a prime example. According to the article, smoking in public spaces was criminalised 10 years ago. All Jamaican citizens with respiratory challenges rejoiced as well as all who were concerned about the second-hand side effects. Yet, 10 years later, these citizens are still suffering because nobody will take responsibility for enforcing the law.

Of course, we cannot deny that the members of the constabulary force are the enforcers of the laws in any society, but how can they enforce the law when they are given the mandate but not the tools? It is like sending the student to write an essay but never teaching him or her how to write, or telling the doctor to perform surgery but not making an operating room and nurses to assist available, or even telling a lawyer to defend a client in criminal court when he or she specialised in business/corporate law!

The man in the streets always reasons things out, as surprising as many affluent and educated Jamaicans might find that. So let us reason this one out. The law was passed but to date is not being reinforced. The constabulary is using a ticketing system to carry out one aspect of its duties. Ask any bus or taxi operator. The constabulary received the tool to issue a greater number of traffic violation tickets and every Jamaican, whether a private motorist or a passenger of the public transportation system, can affirm this. The tickets just keep on coming. They are really enforcing the law.

Two organisations mentioned, the justice ministry and the Ministry of Health, should jointly accept responsibility. If anything, they should hold people accountable from the passing of the law to the implementation of same. This happened 10 years ago!

Now the police are being blamed. When sending them out to enforce the law, are they sent out without their guns, traffic ticket books, combat gear, ID, and badge numbers clearly highlighted on their uniforms? If the answer is yes, then they are to be blamed for not enforcing the no smoking in public spaces law. If the answer is no, place the blame where it rightfully belongs!

Public sector workers are too often given “basket to carry water” and positioned as scapegoats in the public’s eye for dysfunctions that are not of their making.

Some officers might not say anything to public smokers, but many have made it known to the public that the act is illegal and have given warnings to culprits. Realistically, can they arrest everyone they see smoking in public? Where will they house them? It would be better to issue a ticket and the culprit appear before the court, but where are the tickets? Constable John cannot issue what he was not given to issue. There are no two ways about it.

How many other laws are not being enforced because, although passed, the implementation never left the pages of the sheets they were written on?

It is not passing the buck but rather passing the blame.

Stop it!

Natesha Lindsay

lindsay.natesha2@gmail.com