Dear Editor,

I was really hoping that for the sake of Mario Deane’s family and a peace of mind for us all that we would be able to watch the news and not hear another bad report on this matter.

It is ironic that shortly after we saw the new commissioner of police being sworn in, we heard of yet another terrible incident that took place at the Barnett Street Police Station, where an eyewitness in the matter, who is also an inmate, escaped from their custody through an unlocked window.

I must ask these questions as I am truly flabbergasted with the series of these events:

* How is it that these suspects and other criminals are left unsupervised for what seems to be a sufficient period of time to escape through a window, which, if reports are correct, shouldn’t have been unlocked in the first place?

* Why is it so unfortunate that majority of the suspects identified are mentally challenged and disabled? This is quite a curious situation.

* And, is it a case that the authorities need to implement more technological systems to have cameras and/or other resources in these cells to assist the police in monitoring what takes place on a daily basis?

Frankly, I believe that the members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force that are stationed at the Barnett Street Police Station should be forced to resign. The time for leniency being showed to them has expired. We need to be assured that the people set over us to serve, protect and reassure are reliable and competent. If there needs to be a revision of their training and other psychological measures of doing this, it must be done!

We need hope to be restored in our hearts and minds and we pray that our new commissioner, Dr Carl Williams, will help in doing so.

Joshauna Small

UWI Mona student

joshaunasmall@yahoo.com