Mixed reactions to Bunting's 'divine intervention' statement - Security minister says it doesn't signal retreat

 Livern Barrett, Senior Gleaner Writer

Several stakeholder groups agreed yesterday that National Security Minister Peter Bunting sent the wrong signal about his commitment to tackling Jamaica's crime problem in statements he made on the weekend.

While there was support for Bunting from several quarters, including one of his predecessors, he drew strong criticisms for statements some argued "he had no business making".

"It does send a wrong signal to the criminals. You don't want to give them the hope that right now we are running out of options," said president of the UWI Guild of Students, Terron Dewar.

What the national security minister should have done, he said, was try to reassure the country that "right now we are having some difficulties, but we have a few more tricks up our sleeves".

But Bunting said last night that his statement on the weekend was in no way intended to signal any position of retreat, but rather an affirmation of the contribution of a faith-based belief system shared by a majority of Jamaicans.

"For the record, I want to assure all Jamaica that, far from retreating, there is increased determination on my part as minister, and on the part of the administration I represent, to confront and remove the monster of crime and violence from our midst.

"The relentless campaign that has been mounted by this administration against criminals of all kinds will continue and, with the help of every well-thinking Jamaican, we will succeed," he said in a statement.

However, speaking at the Northern Caribbean University on Saturday, Bunting, who appeared close to tears, said he was convinced that "the best efforts of the security forces by itself will not solve the crime problem in Jamaica, but it is going to take divine intervention, touching the hearts of a wide cross section of the society".

"I am not embarrassed to say that right now, as minister of national security, I am going through a kind of a dark night of the soul," he continued.

"We are trying very hard as a ministry ... . I see the men and women of the security forces trying very hard; I see the leadership both of the police and the military working hard and so much effort is being made and yet so little headway, such slow headway is coming out in the statistics," he added.

unable to deal with crime

Derrick Smith, a former national security minister in the previous Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) administration, said Bunting has "surrendered" and signalled to the criminal underworld that his government is unable to deal with the crime monster the country faces.

"He has demoralised the leadership of the police force and the rank-and-file members, and I think what the minister needs to do next is to sit with the prime minister and ask her to relieve him of the burdensome task that he can't handle," he said.

But government senator and attorney-at-law K.D. Knight, himself a former national security minister, jumped to Bunting's defence, saying he was simply trying to paint the picture that despite the best efforts of the security forces, the results are not there.

"There are those in the society who think that the security forces alone can solve crime. It is a fallacy to believe that ... . It hasn't happened in any country from my research," Knight asserted.

"I find no difficulty with the statements," he insisted.

Responding to calls for the national security minister to step down, Knight gave a stinging rebuke.

"I have heard people talking about these groups (that have called for Bunting's dismissal) ... . These groups of three or four persons with dubious credibility can call for anything," he said.

Last night, Bunting said that there was misunderstanding of his remarks. He said that as minister of national security, he was assuring all Jamaicans that "no stone will be left unturned in the fight against crime, and to uphold the rule of law in Jamaica. This administration has made the safety and protection of Jamaicans a top priority and nothing will be allowed to undermine or deter us from the goal of reducing crime and violence."