Dennie Quill, Contributor
CRIMINALS CONTINUE to deliver terror to our streets, our homes, schools and everywhere else. The overall picture is pretty depressing but I am heartened by two events this week. First, the apprehension of a suspect less than 24 hours after gas station operator Lloyd Brown and his finance Sandra Campbell were slain in Stony Hill. The second concerns a find of ammunition in the sea off Negril. The illicit cargo was handed over to the police and we hope it will not find its way into evil hands.
The police are labouring to climb a huge mountain of credibility and their swift action in this double-murder demonstrates that hope is not lost. And that's what I have been writing about for years. There must be a clear signal to criminals who want to create mayhem that there will be sure and swift punishment.
GOOD POLICING
For too long criminals have got away with murder, literally. And even more have got away with theft, rape, robbery etc. Especially since the attitude of the police to robbery is to breathe a sigh of relief that you are alive to make a report. "Nobaddy nuh ded," so what is the fuss about.
It's now time to show the mettle of our men in uniform. Investigation is a critical aspect of policing and lately members of the police force have appeared impotent in blocking the paths of criminals. This is why many people were stunned when the news emerged that a suspect had been held in the double murder. How did they catch them? I hear people asking. This is what the police should be doing. It should be the norm.
Just in case you believe I am starting to celebrate too early, let me say, quick action in one case does not mean we are over the hill. There is much more to do to restore public confidence and show that we are winning the battle to reduce violent crime.
Jamaica is not the only country grappling with the crime monster. At the time of writing I just learnt that our CARICOM sister Trinidad and Tobago has signed a death warrant for a convicted murderer. He is due to be hanged on Monday morning for the triple murder of an
agricultural consultant from England, his mother-in-law and sister-in-law who happened to have been a former anchorwoman of the British Broadcasting Corporation.
The last hanging in Trinidad was in 1999. However, the Government feels it will be sending a signal to criminals by hauling murderers to the gallows. Jamaica continues to vacillate on the issue of what to do with Death Row criminals.
NEW STRATEGY
The monster has to be tackled on many levels. The sooner the Government and private sector realize that the fight against crime will not be won by brawn and bullets, the earlier they will ensure that the necessary strategies are put in place.
A whole new generation of strategies and technologies are called for to deter criminals, capture and prosecute those who kill, rob and maim so that we can once again enjoy the feeling of public safety.
It will take piles of cash to get the requisite technology but the money has to be found and the private sector now have an opportunity to prompt innovation by assisting in providing some of the funds for this important work.
FORCE NEEDS CLEANSING
When are we going to get to the stage where our policemen can go to their laptops or handheld wireless BlackBerry devices to pull up mug shots or run licence plates while in the field? We must get to that point because the killing fields of Kingston feature some of the toughest thugs imaginable.
So let's purge the Jamaica Constabulary Force, pay policemen and women a living wage, refurbish broken-down facilities and train them in the use of modern high-tech equipment. Lastly, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions needs to be extremely proactive in helping in police investigations to ensure that no more half-baked cases are brought to the courts.
Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who may be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com
