Devon Dick | Those random killings and random comments

The Honourable Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, claimed that the killing of 42-year-old Patricia King; 68-year-old Glen Grange; 40-year-old Dennis Pryce; and 42-year-old Marcus White in Dover, St Catherine, was ‘random killings’. Up to last year, Montego Bay, St James, was the only place known for random killings, meaning, based on the spatial distribution, homicides are happening all over the place. Random killings meant that the homicides are not confined to a prescribed hotspot. It would therefore be alarming if St Catherine was now a place for random killings. However, subsequent investigations revealed that random killings are a feature unique to Montego Bay.

RANDOM KILLINGS

This statement about the killings at Dover being random was made at a press conference where the minister of national security and the mayor of Kingston were present. One would have expected that a press conference to analyse the shooting of eight persons, four fatally, that the security force’s hierarchy would be present and government officials would be present as a backup to give policy commitments and offer condolences, as happens in other countries. The absence of security forces top brass was conspicuous. Is this a sign that the Andrew Holness administration is losing confidence in the leadership of the security forces? One would expect that the pronouncement on whether the shootings and killings were random would come from the security forces, and not from politicians.

Furthermore, at that press conference, the minister of national security said the killings were gang-related. What does that mean? Does it mean the four persons who were killed, three farmers and a bartender, were members of a gang? Or does it mean that the four persons, with a mean age of 42, were relatives or friends of persons who were gangsters? And how is this urgent and important, even if correct? Perhaps the insinuation is that these four deceased persons were tainted.

Additionally, who does not have a relative who is involved in illegal or immoral activities? These four persons are made in the image of God, and have dignity equal to all, therefore, their senseless slaughter is not a blot on them, but on us when we are callous to the mourning relatives and lacking in compassion to do more for their safety.

The information about gang-related murders is for the security forces to use that clue to bring to justice those who pulled the trigger, and those who trigger such actions. Otherwise, it is a random comment of little value to the public. Similarly, saying a killing is a contract killing is of little value to the public, except to insinuate that the deceased is associated with nefarious activity. When there are gruesome killings, public officials should try to reduce the impact, stress and awfulness of the killing of another human being by offering comfort, compassion and support to the families of the victims.

Furthermore, the minister of national security claimed that the increase in robberies is due to persons needing monies to pay lawyers. This does not appear to be a random comment, because he declined to say more; obviously knowing more. What is the insinuation here? Lawyers’ fees have gone up? And if lawyers give a 50 per cent discount on their fees, then robberies will decline? Or is he hinting that some lawyers, who are legislators in our Parliament, are facilitators of robberies, and if we want to deal with reducing robberies, then the starting point is the exorbitant fees charged by lawyers.

Perhaps the experts should make informed comments based on rigorous research and adept analysis in order to develop a proper plan to slay the monster of murders.

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.