Are all MPs in bed with criminals?

By Garth A. Rattray

I just happen to have a few minutes to spare one morning and I tuned in to TVJ's 'Smile Jamaica' on Friday, April 26. Host Neville Bell asked Mr Robert Finzi-Smith (former thespian, former JDF member, security consultant, and currently employed as the interim managing director, port security) what he saw as the solution to our criminal activities.

Mr Finzi-Smith replied, "Everyone who ever got elected to Gordon House knows who 'the people' are ... ." He went on to say that all the politicians had to do was to turn them in. To be perfectly frank, I was curious to know why he said what he said.

Whereas many years ago I, too, felt that every politician knew who the criminal elements in their constituencies were, I am no longer of that opinion. And, even if those who knew the criminals tried to turn them in, they could not do so without hard evidence of criminal activities on their part. Besides, crime has so many roots and is fed by so many sources that no one act on anyone's part can solve it.

I am not defending the politicians, but I became concerned that the impression may have inadvertently been left that locking up a handful of nefarious characters would solve our crime problem. And, I feel that some of our politicians are not aware of the criminals that support them and would not support or condone criminality or keep secret their knowledge of criminals.

Quite a few years ago, one very informative and trusted patient, whom I had known for more than 30 years, told me of an incident when a certain very prominent and (perceived) above-board politician paid a visit to her little neck of the woods.

During his brief visit, the MP remained seated in his vehicle with his bodyguards in tow. Some sort of altercation developed between his bodyguard(s) and the openly armed youths gathered there. Guns were drawn and the well-thinking among the group averted possible disaster by shouting, "Mine unno shoot di minister!"

That particular politician has never been thought of as one of those who would ever have anything to do with, or have any knowledge of, any criminals anywhere. Yet he obviously saw the gunmen with their guns. To the best of my knowledge, he has never reported the incident or turned anyone in. We would all have heard about it if he had.

Can't comment

And then I recalled a special television programme when three of our leaders where quizzed, probed and prodded about various aspects of the numerous problems facing us. In closing, the host asked each about commenting on criminal elements within their constituencies. Two of them spoke superficially and non-specifically about their limited interaction with 'known' criminals, but one said definitively, "I cannot comment on something that I know nothing about."

So, when a veteran security expert and ex-military man says, on television, that all our elected representatives know who 'the people' (causing crime) are, it is a condemnation of our leaders.

Mr Finzi-Smith knows that turning in the criminals alone will not solve our crime problem; he has been quoted as saying that social-intervention programmes are necessary to stem the formation of criminal gangs. He has also been quoted as advocating that the Government take a consultative approach and be open with the public regarding crime.

Although we would love to heap all the blame for our crime woes on the politicians, because 'politics' played a major role in criminalising many of our disenfranchised youth, we must be careful not to accuse all current MPs and absolve ourselves as a society. We must lobby for, facilitate, and assist in significant social reform or we will never prevail against the scourge of crime.

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