Garth Rattray
The Ministry of National Security recently published a document titled, 'A new era of policing in Jamaica: Transforming the JCF'. This plan calls for, among many other things, a good police-civilian relationship. This would restore trust and confidence in our constabulary and therefore enable the free flow of information between law-abiding citizens and the police so that we can regain control of our society.
The report went as far as to recommend that the Jamaica Constabulary Force change its name to an innocuous sounding Jamaica Police Service (another 'JPS' - Lord help us!). It also recommends a change of symbols and uniforms to reflect a more customer-oriented police service (smiley-faced buttons perhaps). The document laments that, 'policing efforts in some communities are frustrated as community residents - in anticipation of confrontation - act defensively in their contact with the police'.
Bearing all this in mind, it is therefore incongruous for this administration to even consider rounding up and detaining (for a limited but indeterminate period of time) groups of individuals that 'intelligence' suggests may be committing or facilitating criminal activities within specific communities.
I am very mindful that rampant criminality and anarchy are subverting law and order across Jamaica. I have many patients and friends that have been killed, severely injured or intractably traumatised by criminal elements. Like crazed sharks in a feeding frenzy, gunmen have taken to killing whomever they please, whenever they want and to openly attacking businesses in the heart of our tourist centres where foreign visitors were endangered and left with frightening reminders of their trip to 'paradise'.
We must act now and act decisively to take back control of Jamaica from the criminals; however, we must be extremely mindful of the basic (human and civil) rights of our citizens and be careful not to further distance and disenfranchise the citizens in our poorer communities. We must also be careful not to swap one oppressive force (gunmen) for another (the police).
This idea of preventive detention is a dangerous one. In some ways, it is reminiscent of the USA PATRIOT ACT (an acronym for: Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) Act. This act has come under fire for its employment of far-reaching and Napoleonic instruments in the treatment of persons designated as suspected terrorists.
Tactical view
Prime Minister Golding is quoted as saying, "From a tactical point of view, what you need to do is take back control of that community to restore some order". He is obviously very correct, however, although locking up innocent young men in literal hellholes with hardened criminals may frighten some away from the lure of criminality, it will certainly further harden the hearts of those at high-risk for recruitment into the criminal underworld. It will also deepen the distrust in the security forces.
At the time of penning this article, I've been made to understand that the security forces have effectively 'occupied' Drews-land and stopped the daily gunfire. However, the citizens know full well that as soon as the police and soldiers depart, things will heat up once again. We need sustained suppression and not just temporary operations - and for that, we need manpower.
I still believe that the quickest and best way to suppress crime, until the proposed social changes catch up, is to train a suitable number of soldiers as policemen and women at the Academy and assign them to the constabulary. We then need to saturate the volatile areas with a hybrid combined security force.
Dr Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice, garthrattray@gmail.com; for feedback, columns@gleanerjm.com
