Peace and safety - conditions apply

Absolutely nothing is free. Everything comes with a price (conditions). Even the air that we breathe is there only because countless land-based plants and micro-organisms floating in the oceans and seas are busily using sunlight to photosynthesise, eliminate carbon dioxide and manufacture oxygen. Without their hard work, life as we know it could never exist on Earth. We, too, can play our individual roles in this crucial matter of carbon dioxide elimination and oxygen production by sparing the destruction of trees/other plants and planting new ones whenever possible.

I consider peace and safety fundamental to nation building. Without them, there can be no prosperity and no advancement. Unfortunately, just as it is with oxygen production, most people believe that the responsibility for our security lies with someone else, or with one specific organisation. People, therefore, look to our security forces, and more specifically to the constabulary, for our peace and safety. But, this is extremely flawed thinking.

Sadly, because of the crassness and/or corrupt behaviour of a relatively few cops, many citizens view the constabulary in an extremely negative light. However, I have been fortunate to know many policemen and policewomen, and I know that, on a whole, the police force has extremely hard-working and committed people who sacrifice their personal lives and put their safety at risk for the rest of us. And, as recently revealed by Prime Minister Golding, the success of the constabulary in fighting crime is commendable and encouraging.

Analysing crime stats

Without going into too many details, compared to the last three years, the figures for major crimes show that murders, shootings and break-ins have gone down. Larceny remains problematic, with a reduction or no significant change when compared to the past three years, and a slight increase in a few months this year. Reported cases of carnal abuse have been down, but reported cases of rape are either down or equivocal most months and were up slightly in May. Robberies have also been vacillating.

The point is that the constabulary has been working assiduously to reduce crime, and the reduction in the murder rate has left many citizens hopeful. Perhaps sensing this shift in crime control and a pulling back from the brink of anarchy, criminal elements have stepped up their game and carried out four recent murders followed by heinous beheadings obviously intended to build their gangland street cred and concomitantly drive fear into the people of Jamaica. The good news is that there is a lot more of us (decent, law-abiding, patriotic citizens) than there are of them (criminals and those that enable, support or benefit from their activities).

Many hours of arduous work, detailed investigations, evidence-gathering and forensics can go so far and no further - the input of our citizenry is essential to solving crimes. Capital punishment is not the prime deterrent against murder; getting arrested and charged is. Criminals know full well that they have to be caught before they can be tried and convicted. Killing people and mutilating their bodies is an attempt at silencing the populace so that criminal elements can commit more crimes and carry out more heinous activities.

If we want peace and safety, conditions apply. We must each do our part. This has nothing to do with vigilante activities, mobbing or lynching; it has to do with discipline, social awareness, being good neighbours, helping the needy, and providing essential intelligence to the constabulary. Peace and safety won't happen unless we make them happen.

Garth A. Rattray is a physician with a family practice. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com.