In a recent interview at the signing of the contract for the new divisional headquarters for the St Catherine North Police Division, Prime Minister Andrew Holness vowed to take back Spanish Town from the hands of criminals.

This is a far more important statement than the average person may realise. Spanish Town is famous for many things. It was, of course, the original capital of Jamaica. It is the singular most important representation of Spanish presence in Jamaica. It is, in effect, a monument of a part of our history that, to a large degree, is forgotten. Little or no Spanish culture is alive in Jamaica today.

The British did a remarkable job of wiping out any part of that history after their takeover. The average Jamaican is descended from Africa or Asia, and there is minor representation of Europe. There are virtually no descendants of the Spanish occupation in Jamaica.

Spanish Town can compete with western Kingston as the founder of organised crime in Jamaica. However, without a doubt, Spanish Town is the birthplace of the extortion industry that finances the largest gangs in Jamaica.

The political system is enjoying a significant reduction of involvement and interaction with criminal gangs. The last bastion of truly politically-affiliated gangs is Spanish Town. Based on all this, the vow to take back Spanish Town from the gangs by a political leader — who is about to go into a general election — is somewhat historic.

In my career as a policeman I have had the very negative experience of being pinned down by gunfire too many times, and it always happens in Spanish Town. I’ve always maintained that gunmen in southern St Catherine fear law enforcement far more than gunmen in Spanish Town. I believe this is because historically, gunmen in southern St Catherine — to include Portmore, Central Village, and Old Harbour — do not enjoy the political party support that criminal gangs in Spanish Town enjoy.

I believe this statement by the prime minister is indicative of the end of an era, where political parties depend on the support of criminal gangs in Spanish Town. The question is: Is there currently a significant effort to end gang rule in Spanish Town?

Well, at this point, I am seeing real effort and intent. On the human resources side, the officer in charge of operations is Deputy Superintendent Camendo Thoms. He is a legend in his own time. You don’t send a man like that there if you are not serious about bringing the fight to the gangs.

The commanding officer of the division, Superintendent Hopeton Nicholson, is the same officer who led the hunt for “Duppy Film”, one of the most notorious killers in Jamaica’s modern history.

Then there is the merger of the St Catherine South and St Catherine North Special Operations units. This, in effect, gives the southern unit — which has a history of success in combat and investigation against criminal gangs — the authority to act in that jurisdiction.

It also gives them the authority to work hand-in-hand with people who understand the area they are policing and have demonstrated effectiveness in the short time since being established. This shows that there really is substantive effort to end the control that gangs have had in Spanish Town since the 80s.

The extortion racket that, decades ago, moved gangs from being dependent on political handouts to an independent business machinery began in Spanish Town. ‘Bulbie’, the notorious founder of the Klansman Gang, holds the distinction of developing the model that, for years, held the business community in a stranglehold. Although the Klansman Gang was the first, it was soon followed by the One Order Gang.

These gangs are virtual representations of Jamaica’s failed political system of the 80s and 90s. Their destruction would be symbolic of a new beginning, and the end of a shameful half century of thug rule. I believe the prime minister’s statement is indicative of a new political culture being exhibited by both parties, where — for once — country comes before party.

The current extortion product has changed and is harder to combat because the primary targets are now vendors and taxi drivers, as well as businessmen who have recently immigrated from Asia. There is less dependence on large business now. The anti-gang legislation is a tool that has been very unkind to the killers of Spanish Town and the new gun Act appears to be capable of being deservedly mean.

As the gang members are removed from society in numbers never to return, you will see fewer young people ready to join their ranks. This, along with significantly less political support and a society less supportive of criminal rights groups, will result in a decline in the gangs’ ability to replace their membership.

The current employment environment, for the first time since World War II, leans in favour of the worker versus the employer. This will result in more people opting to work, simply because jobs are available. What is needed at this point is a rabid programme for educating our young men on the basic steps of how to get a job. This may seem ridiculous to you, but the average unemployed person in the inner-city communities of Spanish Town has never really applied for a job.

I have conducted studies in this area and found this a prevalent phenomenon in St Catherine, particularly in Spanish Town. This could be because most of the people I have interviewed did not finish school and so did not participate in any programme to prepare for post-high school life. This is the importance of social intervention in any policing strategy.

The reality is that we are going to have to do more than just jailing gang leaders and members. We must focus on their ability to replace the human resource element of their structure. It is not just about their guns and ammunition. If this takeover is to be victorious, this plan must involve the removal of the human capital of young men. This will require micro-management by social workers, alongside the police.

If this practical approach is not undertaken, we will see a scenario similar to that in Afghanistan where every few decades another country has to invade their country to protect them from Muslim extremism.

The Americans did not play the long game with Afghanistan. Let us not make the same mistake with Spanish Town.

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