Editorial | Making Jamaica safe again

We imagine that a majority of Jamaicans harbour the hope that one day the country will return to its safe, peaceful state. The growing clamour for a more peaceful way of life within a gentler society is heard repeatedly in both public and private spaces. Concerned citizens writing to this newspaper have suggested, sometimes in great details, how the country might achieve that elusive peace.

Several interventions like aggressive anti-crime squads with ominous names, foreign recruitment, gun amnesty, community policing and peace initiatives have all had less than the desired effects. The grim crime vise that holds present-day Jamaica resembles that of New York city in the 1990s, infested by crime with a high murder rate, muggings and robberies way out of control. However, today New York City is discussed with envy for achieving the steepest crime decline of any major American city.

These results have been studied many times over and the general conclusion is that with the help of international criminologists, psychologists and economists, New York was able to address some of the problems associated with poverty, unemployment, drug dependency and social inequity. There were kudos for the New York Police Department whose policing strategies, including investment in technology, were credited for the remarkable turnaround.

While we are drawing parallels with New York City, it is worth noting that Deputy Commissioner Tania Kinsella, a 20-year veteran of the NYPD, has expressed an interest in helping Jamaica reduce its crime problem. In an interview with this newspaper she said, “We have trained with the best across the world and have assisted with training police officers around the world. I would be open to leading a mission to Jamaica to assist if I am asked. I would personally head such a team.”

DEEP ROOTS

Commissioner Kinsella who received the Consul General’s Heritage Award recently has deep roots in St Elizabeth, birthplace of her father. She is therefore not a mere onlooker who loves to soak up the Jamaican sea and sand, she has vested interest in this country’s progress.

Her expression happily coincides with Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ four-day strategic visit to the United States capital, Washington, DC, where he met with administration officials on a range of issues including security matters, specifically trafficking in drugs and arms. And speaking with the members of the Jamaican diaspora Mr Holness discussed the collaborative approach to solving the problem as he appealed to them for help.

Mr. Holness has repeatedly reiterated his own unease with the level of violence in the society as he seemingly searches for answers. That he has not been able to find a formula to enable that the general population can sleep with their doors open at nights must be one of the most disappointing aspects of his tenure as prime minister.

More than a decade ago the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) recruited senior police personnel from the United Kingdom and even though their intervention illustrated glimpses of improvement in leadership, management and administration within the JCF, public order did not get the makeover citizens had hoped for, instead it was steadily eroded. Today, disorder is evident everywhere and is commonly associated with the Jamaican brand.

Mr. Holness knows by now that it will take a huge commitment to bring a range of competent capacities to bear on the crime problem. In the meantime, he could start by exploiting expressions of interest, such as that offered by Deputy Commissioner Kinsella.