Letter of the Day | Mr PM, repackaged ZOSO is refurbished fiasco

THE EDITOR, Madam:

After waiting for nearly five years to see a credible crime plan implemented by the Andrew Holness-led administration, Jamaicans are now being introduced to a repackaged zones of special operation (ZOSO), by the prime minister himself.

No one can forget that the Government’s common refrain, whenever it is challenged about a crime plan, is that it would be unwise to reveal to the criminal underworld how it plans to dismantle criminal operations.

But if a repackaged/refurbished ZOSO is the best that the Government can offer the Jamaican people after being in office for five years, then the only conclusion that can be drawn about the Government’s ability to dismantle crime is that it is completely bankrupt where designing crime-fighting initiatives are concerned.

This phenomenon of the Government’s inability to fashion a credible, sustainable crime-fighting initiative has been one of the most outstanding features of this administration since it came to power five years ago.

JCF SHARES RESPONSIBILITY

While the Government must answer to the law-abiding citizens of this country for its shocking failure in reducing crime levels, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) deserves nothing less than utter condemnation for its pathetic approach to fighting crime.

Somebody needs to convince me as to how the JCF can justify its continued existence when it has presided over a progressively worsening murder rate for over four decades, to the point where we are now witnessing a murder rate of close to 50 to every 100,000 Jamaicans.

It is only those who are suffering from chronic brain damage who can’t understand that the primary driver of this country’s alarmingly high murder rate is due to the fact that of the more than 1,200 murders committed yearly, less than 200 persons are arrested, while less than 150 are charged, and less than 100 are convicted yearly for these 1,200 murders.

So even if we presume that every three murders are committed by one murderer, based on our conviction rate, every year over 300 murderers literally get away with murders – a situation that emboldens them to commit more murders.

REFORM OF THE JCF

The much-talked-about reform of the JCF is long overdue. This reform must entail the redundancy of personnel who are more a liability rather than an asset to the force. In its present form, the JCF is hardly seen as a bona fide and attractive career path for bright and talented young people. Consequently, too many entrants see it as a stopgap; until better comes. The result of this mindset is a lack of commitment to the job, and an absence of a desire to be good at what they do.

CASHLEY BROWN

cashleybrown@yahoo.com