EDITORIAL - Responding to Clarendon's SOS

That the Clarendon business community feels itself set upon by criminals is quite understandable, although the same complaint may well come from business people elsewhere in Jamaica.

So far this year, at least four businessmen/entrepreneurs have been shot and killed in the parish, most during attacks at their work premises.

"... I am wondering if we are targeted," said Aldo Brown, president of the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce, echoing a sentiment prevailing in the organisation.

We do not know whether business people in the parish are being specifically singled out for attack, but we believe that people in Clarendon have real cause for concern over the state of crime in the parish, especially murders and shootings.

Official data show 18 people being murdered in the south-central parish during January and February, and the recent apparent uptick in the killings suggests a trajectory that will take the murder count beyond last year's 84.

In fact, Clarendon, with a population of just over 245,000, has the country's third-highest murders of 34 per 100,000, following Jamaica's historical murder capital, Kingston-St Andrew with 62, and St James, whose homicides last year stood at a staggering 84 per 100,000.

Mr Brown, his fellow chamber members and the people of Clarendon, generally, will, rightfully, take no comfort from the fact that there are other regions of Jamaica with higher murder rates. They know that they face a crisis, which they want cauterised before it gets as bad as the others.

It is for that they look to their regional police chief, SSP Michael Bailey; the head of the constabulary, Mr Owen Ellington; and the national security minister, Peter Bunting.

Fight crime

Mr Bailey says his team has been running workshops for business people on measures they can take to make them less easy targets for criminals. That is good, but hardly sufficient. Perhaps Mr Bailey should say what resources he has in the parish to fight crime and what else he may need and whether that is being delivered by Mr Ellington.

Mr Ellington and Mr Bunting should also satisfy themselves and assure, if they can, the people of Clarendon, and Jamaica more widely, that they have workable policies, strategies and tactics for coming to grips with this crisis. For despite the gains of recent years, there is a growing sense that respite was almost accidental, rather than being founded in fundamental strategic gains by the authorities and, therefore, may not be sustainable.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.