Every
war that has ever been fought in modern or ancient history has required one necessary element — commitment.

The war being fought in our country is no different. The participants in this conflict against a common enemy (organised criminal gangs) are parts of different organisations and sectors and involve many in different roles.

There are, of course, the police and the army, which obviously represent one of the front lines. There are also the prosecutors, the judiciary, the Jamaica Customs Agency, the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency, and, very importantly, the civilians, who provide the intelligence and evidence required for the system to work.

All players in this game have to be committed to this cause. The level of commitment varies per individual. Some people’s commitment is greater than others.

I attended a retirement function for a 40-year veteran of the Jamaica Constabulary Force — Deputy Superintendent Leighton Blackstock — last week. I have spoken about him in this column before and singled him out as one of the greatest homicide investigators of his time. I met him well over two decades ago, when we both served the same police division — St Catherine South. He was already considered to be the best homicide investigator in the force. He maintains that designation by many to this day.

Can you imagine how committed you must be to do the same job for decades, dealing with the absolute misery of homicide investigation? After having literally hundreds of conversations with Sir Blackstock, I have come to the conclusion that his commitment comes from a genuine belief in justice and his own pride in carrying out whatever task he performs perfectly.

I believe it is important to find something to anchor your commitment to if you are going to spend your life fighting as big an enemy as Jamaican gangs.

When I was a young man, I had commemorative coins that I had received from the Miami-Dade Police Academy upon graduating as a forensic investigator. I would keep one of those coins on me at all times. I told my children to keep the rest of the set on them when I wasn’t with them. This served as a reminder that my children were defenceless, and so were the people I was fighting for. The kids had their coins to remind them that we were all part of the same team.

As they grew up and moved away or became as capable as I am to protect themselves, I still found a token to get me through one more squatter settlement, one more raid, one more trial. I keep my infant granddaughter’s soother on me at all times because I know that at this point she, like many, can’t defend herself.

If you are playing your part, you have to believe that it is to protect the innocent and that they are worth the risk. This extends to all participants because the risk is spread right across the board. Never minimise the importance of your role in the war.

The prosecutors’ function is important and dangerous. They never show fear and, frankly, I don’t think they are afraid. However, their courage doesn’t minimise the actual risk.

So what gets a young advocate to look past the wealth of civil law and private practice to choose to prosecute dangerous criminals for a fraction of the earnings? My theory is that he/she, like the policeman, is committed to protecting those within our society who cannot protect themselves. Or it could be a commitment to the rule of law. Whatever it is, the system simply cannot function without these law practitioners.

The judges are required to be the last bastion of justice. This is not a profession that makes them wealthy. They retire at 70. Can you imagine working until you’re 70? It’s unthinkable! Most of my male relatives were dead by 70!

Judges never show fear — irrespective of the history, reputation, or capabilities of the killers on trial. What anchors their commitment to spend a lifetime putting their lives on the line? I have pondered this for 40 years.

When you have policed communities as violent as the ones I have for as long as I have, you develop an incredible respect for the few in the community who make it possible for you to do your job. They are civilians, and without them we simply could not fight this war. We can’t have trials if we don’t have witnesses. We can’t charge people without complainants, witnesses, and evidence. The bravest of souls are the ones who give evidence.

Some are motivated because their family was harmed. So, in effect, they are willing to give up their life so that their loved ones get justice. Others just draw their line in the sand and say, “I am standing up for something.” It is not common, but it is not as rare as people think.

Most crimes are solved because of civilians who are willing to risk their lives. We can paint it whatever colour we want; it begins and ends with commitment. What I think we need to ask ourselves now is: How do we get the entire country of decent people to commit to the same cause that the rest of us are committed to? How does this become a national cry?

It starts with information. The average citizen doesn’t really think of the various institutions that I have mentioned above or realise how committed they are and how committed they need to be for them to be effective. So public education is important.

We also have to stop being polite and politically correct when we discuss the activities of organised criminal gangs. We need to show our country the product of the work of these gangs, irrespective of how gory it comes across.

We need to minimise association between criminal elements and police officers and politicians; there can’t be a national cry if there is an appearance that we are collaborating with the enemy. We need to make the public aware of all of the institutions of Government that put their lives on the line to fight the cause.

As we create the invisible, but definitive divide between society and criminals, the isolation will result in a weakening of the fabric that holds them together. Organisations that appear to be supporting the gangs need to be named and shamed, and not just by me.

The average gunman needs to be looked at with the same eyes that we look at paedophiles. We must make crime uncool and criminals unworthy of the support of any decent person or group. This is as important as understanding and appreciating the many people and institutions that are committed to doing their part to fight criminality.

We need to try to get this commitment that is shown by a few to become an epidemic.

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