Devon Dick | Why not an islandwide state of emergency?

Why not an islandwide state of public emergency (SOE) when there has been an impressive 20 per cent reduction in the number of killings in the parish and areas where SOEs have been declared? If the SOE would save more lives, then it would be cruel not to declare an islandwide SOE. Every human life is of immeasurable worth. Cost ought not to be the determinant.

The question is what powers within the SOE has caused such a reduction. This would determine whether it should be islandwide or discontinued. If it is the increased security presence, then we should have embarked on a massive recruitment drive and provided the wheels for the security forces to drive around and cause further reductions. Then it could be argued that it is not the wide-ranging powers of the SOE that caused the decrease in killings.

Obviously, it is not the SOE provision concerning the opening hours of places of entertainment that is causing the reduction of killings, otherwise the Government could not have announced a relaxation of such a measure. Are the checkpoints the silver bullet?

Are there potentially more effective ways to get reduction of killings than using SOEs? There was a lecturer from the University of the West Indies who, speaking on CVMTV panel discussion, claimed that there were 13 hotspots in Jamaica, and that having security posts in these areas would lead to greater reduction in killings. There has been no response from the Government or the Opposition to such a proposal.

Is the powers granted under the SOE to scrape up young people the reason for the reduction of killings? Saturday's Gleaner stated that 11,000 persons detained and only 400 charged. Less than three per cent charged. This smacks of an abuse of powers. This, coupled with the cavalier delays in establishing tribunals for detainees, smacks of a draconian measure.

Using a dragnet to detain young men causes psychological scars, distrust of authority figures, rebelliousness, and prime targets as recruits for criminal gangs. It is an achievement when a boy from the ghetto was never scraped up by the age of 16! This a normal feature of some teenagers' life.

NEGATIVE EFFECT ON YOUTH

At a recent gathering, a well-known clergyman, as a teenager, was on a football field when a well-known crime-fighter told them to scatter and 'boxed' him. His brother was scraped up, detained and lost his job, and it was a member of parliament who got his release. Last week, a leading clergyman from western Jamaica told me that youth fellowships are affected badly because youths from the church have been scraped up.

Persons complain bitterly that a journey of 15 minutes is taking up to 150 minutes because of road construction. Those complainers ought to spare a thought for those 10,600 persons who are detained up to 15 days and more. Our sons will never have such an experience because one phone call and release.

In the 1970s, while attending Moorlands camp, a fellow camper got into difficulties in the swimming pool, which was really a converted, very deep tank. It was dark and no one could see him. Camp chief, Robert Levy, then president of Jamaica Broilers, risked his life and jump into the deep hole and rescued this fellow of humble background. Levy demonstrated his Christian witness that Black Lives Matter. We need a similar attitude from private-sector leaders to these detainees. This provision of scraping up young people is not the cause for the reduction in killings and should be discontinued forthwith.

What is needed is researched and reasoned responses to the SOE and a respect for all lives.

- Rev Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church in St Andrew. He is author of 'The Cross and the Machete', and 'Rebellion to Riot'. Send feedback to columns@ gleanerjm.com.