There are three basic factors driving the crime wave in western Jamaica — the economic factor, social factor and the political factor.

These collectively are the main pillars on which criminal intent, anti-social behaviour, and lawlessness are built. They give the clearest indication that a community is ideal for the planting of the seeds for crime and other aspects of anti-social behaviour.

When one looks at the crime statistics in western Jamaica’s four parishes -—Trelawny, St James, Hanover and Westmoreland — one can see a trajectory pointing in the wrong direction.

The statistics are even more frightening when we observe the crime statistics in the major communities across the western parishes. Communities, which have not registered any serious crime in over 25 years, are now witnessing crime of unprecedented levels. The present crime wave did not just jump at us like a “jack in the box”, but was festering and ready to mushroom into what it is today.

So, what are the social, economic and political sub-factors that are driving this crime wave?

Social factors

These include poverty, unemployment, rural/urban migration, squatting/unplanned development, social injustice and teenage pregnancy.

All the above social indices have been germinating in our western communities and have now grown to fuel the levels of serious criminality. Most available data from social anthropologists, media, Statistical Institute of Jamaica and the security forces, show that the age group 18-25 years is seeing a high unemployment rate across the four western parishes. As the rural youth migrate into the urban centres like Montego Bay, Falmouth, Savanna-la-Mar, Lucea and other major town centres, they put pressure on housing accommodation, thus resulting in unplanned developments.

These rural youth later become prime target for gang recruitment and other criminal activities. Social injustice and indifferent policing agitate the poor and unemployed youth to shift into a social mode of “them against us” and are rebellious to law and often feel that for them to improve their quality of life they must live a life of crime. The gun thus becomes their “equipment of trade”.

Economic factors

This includes economic growth without equity, paradox of development, inadequate infrastructure and the proceeds from drug trade and other criminal activities.

Research has shown that there is a direct link between the rise in crime and all of the above factors. A country cannot curb crime with anemic economic growth, even if that growth is consistent with world averages. If that growth comes without equity, western Jamaica will still be seeing a rise in crime. Successive Governments have focused on development around urban centres, thus drawing unemployed from rural areas, putting stress on urban infrastructure and negating the gains of those developments in what economists term “the paradox of development.”

The availability of weapons, especially for use in the drug trade, the lottery scam all play an integral part in the crime wave.

Political factors

These can be looked at under the heading the urbanisation of politics; political contracts; politicisation of community-based organisation; politicisation of State intervention in community projects; disbursement of government projects and funding based on political allegiance.

Of the above sub-factors, urbanisation of politics tops the list as a major driving force in the crime wave.

Urban politics involve intimidation with the use of arms, vote buying, “goonmanship” and other violent acts on the electoral processes. These individuals often resort to criminal activities once the election is over. This appears to be quite evident in the parishes of St James and Westmoreland. The political factor, although in most cases remain camouflaged, has a direct correlation between itself and criminality. Proceeds from political contracts oftentimes have gone into the purchases of weapons and the strengthening of community dons. Successive governments have failed to stem their intervention into community activities on a political basis.

We are yet to see the level of political maturity that will engender a concerted effort to curb crime through the elimination of the social, economic and political factors that drive crime in our western parishes.

Until these factors are adequately addressed, it is unlikely that there will be a significant reduction in criminal activity in western Jamaica.

Fenandez ‘Bingy’ Smith is a former Jamaica Labour Party councillor for the Sherwood Content Division in Trelawny.

e-mail: fgeesmith@yahoo.com