The murder of police Corporal Christopher Smith at a gas station on Beechwood Avenue in St Andrew is yet more evidence of the evil forces among us — quick to shed blood and create mayhem.

It is also a reminder — reinforced by Jamaica Police Federation Chair Sergeant Arlene McBean — of the extreme danger for the security forces who are obviously at the forefront of the battle against criminals.

This newspaper joins in voicing our condolence to family and friends of Corporal Smith — described by Senior Superintendent Michael Phipps, head of Kingston Western Police Division, as a dedicated lawman and team player who had “fought many battles and stood tall” earning the confidence of his colleagues.

We hear the lament of Sergeant McBean that, “We [police] are attacked when we are on duty, we are attacked when we are off duty… We are attacked everywhere — and that is just the sad reality…”

Of course, that awful reality confronts all Jamaicans. Hence the recognition by Sergeant McBean that “criminals in Jamaica… are emboldened to disrupt, to tear down the social and moral fabric of the society…”

This newspaper welcomes her renewal of an appeal “for different mechanisms and systems that can strengthen what we already have in law enforcement…”

That, this newspaper believes, is in sync with our own long-standing recommendation that, in addition to anti-crime efforts by the security forces, there needs to be State-led, proactive, determined efforts to unite the entire society against criminality.

That approach should include constructive agreement across the political party divide; embrace of all law-abiding segments of the society in coalition against crime; and, very importantly, mobilising people in communities everywhere — urban and rural — to support the police and to be each other’s keeper.

Of course, none of that should in any way devalue efforts to strengthen the security forces in their enforcement measures.

For that reason, we have consistently applauded the increased emphasis on intelligence-gathering which, we believe, is a major reason for the decline in murders this year — though we are told that in that latter regard Jamaica remains only behind Haiti in the Caribbean.

Despite declines, Jamaica’s murder toll is said to have already topped 1,100.

Undoubtedly, intelligence-gathering has made possible the constabulary’s recent announcement that it has now identified 233 key people believed to be involved in major criminal activities who are to be priority targets of the security forces.

“We have categorised those [criminals] that we believe are very prolific. We call those strategic targets, and those targets ought to be pursued,” said Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Warren Clarke.

In addition to those major targets, the police will be seeking other criminals using area-specific fugitive apprehension teams and local operational support teams.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Clarke reminds us that, personal safety and security apart, bringing criminals to heel is absolutely essential if Jamaica is ever to achieve its diverse socio-economic goals.

“None of those nice things we talk about — making Jamaica the place to do business and raise families — will happen unless we deal with violence,” said the senior policeman.

We couldn’t agree more.