George Davis | What is the best way to kill violent crime?

As we ruminate on the decision of the court to convict and sentence Police Constable Collis ‘Chucky’ Brown on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, perhaps we should consider the feelings of those who are sad to see him confined to a prison cell for at least the next 51 years of his life.

Long before the case gathered steam and progressed to its inevitable conclusion of guilty, I had a discussion with a close relative of one of the men ‘Chucky’ was found guilty of executing. The relative confessed to being caught in two minds about the whole issue, because even though family ties were strong, their best information suggested the deceased was indeed involved in illegal gun play.

The relative felt that although in principle no tears should be shed for a gunman who dies by any gun, in the specific situation concerning Chucky, the policeman could have opted to bring his kin before the court rather than act extra judicially.

I got from the conversation that the relative felt somewhat sorry to see Chucky Brown in court facing charges for the extra judicial killing of an alleged gunman, even as they felt worse that the life of a close family member had been snuffed out.

Many persons in several quarters cheered as the noose of evidence tightened around Chucky Brown’s neck in court. They may have broken into song when he was found guilty and perhaps felt warm satisfaction when he was put away for at least half a century by Justice Vivene Harris.

All those celebrating the trial outcome perhaps have renewed faith in the Justice system, greater confidence in INDECOM and an assurance that despite the savagery visited upon us by the murder of thousands of Jamaicans over the last four decades, this country believes firmly in the rule of law.

But what of those who, because theirs is the minority view, speak in hushed tones about the need for more policemen like Chucky Brown on the streets of our communities to eliminate the kind of criminals who live to spill blood? Are they evil? In the context of the disproportionate use of the illegal gun to kill and maim so many Jamaicans over time, is it backward and savage to believe that gunmen, suspected and otherwise, should be summarily executed by the police?

I ask these questions after considering the Chucky Brown-death-squad link and comparing that situation with the activities of the notorious Pangani 6 Police Unit in Kenya. The Pangani 6, which operates in the heavily Somali populated community of Eastleigh in the capital Nairobi, is described by human rights groups as a police death squad.

The leader of the Pangani 6, Ahmed Rashid, achieved fame after being filmed by a civilian on March 31, 2017, shooting an unarmed thief…yes, a thief…about 15 times in broad daylight on a busy street. In the aftermath of the shooting, Rashid revealed he had killed the young man because he ‘suspected’ him of killing a fellow policeman.

Several other young men, who were allegedly involved in robberies, where the knife was the weapon of choice, have allegedly been accosted and killed by Rashid and the Pangani 6.

As captured in a 28-minute long video from the BBC’s Africa Eye programme entitled ‘Kenya’s Gangster Killing Cop-hunting down criminals in Nairobi’ and presented by Jamal Osman, business operators in Eastleigh are singing the praises of the Pangani 6, hailing them for engineering a significant reduction in robberies and violent crime.

Community members and religious leaders confess to praying for Rashid to continue his work, noting that he’s a God-send who hunts and kills thieves, while being impervious to bribes.

In praising the work of the Pangani 6, one medical doctor in Kenya told the BBC the police were forced to go the extra mile, that is, kill criminal suspects, because of how vicious the robberies and muggings had become in Eastleigh.

The majority of the people in Eastleigh may well have embraced Chucky Brown and his method of policing. And the majority of Jamaicans would reject the Pangani 6.

But which way is best to kill violent crime? Enforcement of the rule of law or giving the police a licence to kill?

Selah.

- George Davis is a broadcast executive producer and talk-show host. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and george.s.davis@hotmail.com