Crime is out of control, sacrifice required!
We take no joy in this, but Cabinet’s tactics did not abate crime and murder. New minister, new police chief; alert army; zone of special operations (ZOSO) and state of emergency reprised; British, American personnel, arms, vehicles, boats. What’s next, Prime Minister Andrew Holness?
Cabinet implements ZOSO awkwardly and bribes districts with goodies, but pressure in Mt Salem, Denham Town causes outbreaks elsewhere and jealousy of many at the cornucopia lavished on the few makes for a fractured nation. Yet Cabinet, army, police are doing their best, but no solution is in sight.
Holness wants a crime-free, prosperous Jamaica, as do we, so why rely solely on those who ran security for 30 years and got us into this mess? He refuses to involve civilians in security strategy, yet we put him there, are the ones being killed, but have no direct say in saving our own lives. Repent!
Here is a brief scenario to help out: Proposition 1 — Police cannot protect every community, so locals must be mobilised and trained to protect themselves. At times a neighbourhood watch may morph into a citizen’s militia, as police arrive hours after a rape, robbery or killing. Crime is a Hydra — dispersed, spontaneous; crooks helped by family, a lot for one central police force to handle.
Proposition 2 — Police must catch majority of crooks, then take arsenals. Catch more and confidence builds! Even when murder stats decline we are not comforted as evil ones are still out there. Police listed 30 “most wanted”, so if they can’t catch those they know?
Proposition 3 — Cabinet must use law to achieve mass behaviour change. This is Singapore’s method. Education will be a parallel strategy, but it is long term, while law is blunt but will save lives now.
Proposition 4 — Cabinet must insist that police “sweat the small stuff” and incentivise them. Small crimes on the roads and in public space must reap swift, certain penalties.
So what must we all do? First, there can be no crime control without sacrifice. We must give up some things for a time and the notion that “I pay police so don’t ask me to do more” only means many may die unnecessarily. Second, pre-crime interdiction must be a part of a new strategy as, despite likely police error, it’s worth the risk. We must use technology and profiling to pre-empt or discourage miscreants, plus we need data, computer power, simulation and degreed people with high-order skills as detectives. The UK is training 1,000 such for three months to be detectives, as graduates are superior to raw recruits with subjects. How can we get, say, science graduates who love video games, master critical thinking, game theory, inductive, deductive reasoning to join? Criminals now dictate terms of engagement and security responds, but our forces need to be pre-emptive.
We love to cite Singapore, but it was built on crime control. As a new, independent, mixed-race, ex-British colony with problems like ours — unemployment, housing, crime, poor education, antisocial conduct by youth not in education, employment or training — they sought a visionary leader and trusted him to manage democracy, cauterise crime and grow. Though resource-poor, they made housing a priority, as stable family anchors a nation, and by public and private means they did it. They then gave each citizen a number and used computers (then a recent innovation) to track and trace. They changed behaviour using law with penalties for petty crime and built order and prosperity in decades not generations. New York’s “broken window” mantra was what Singapore did long before to cleanse public space — road rage, vandalism, petty pilfering, littering and to discourage big crime. Most of our leaders are weak; confused by faux tear-jerking tales of long-dead slave ancestors who worked so we could all be idle today. Would we be motivated if our ancestors had been masters?
Escalating community policing is key to crime control. Holness must mobilise 700 districts to protect self, as police are not able; so train community cohorts as first responders. Some 60 problem districts need an upgrade of neighbourhood watch to citizen militia. Do not beg evil men for mercy; if we must die use trained resistance with dignity. A new police law should disaggregate the service into Cornwall, Middlesex and Surrey; each with a police chief, all reporting to national high command with integrated policy, data, communication, assessment, but local tactics, accountability and rewards for success. The smaller governance units will yield focus and better results.
Incidentally, I met many police called “woman constable this or that” yet no “man constable”. Root out police sexism now!
How do we compare, even roughly? The UK has some 40 police forces for 60 million people. Yet we often hear of Metropolitan London with 30,000-plus police for 10 million people; Toronto has 7,000 for 2.8 million; New York 40,000 plus for nine million, and Jamaica 15,000-plus police for 2.8 million people. Our police-to-population figure is quite good.
Freedom has a price, so we volunteer, beat crime, “sleep with doors open” or lock up behind grilles as predators run free. Holness must cook or leave the kitchen. Stay conscious!
Franklin Johnston, D Phil (Oxon), is a strategist and project manager; Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK); and teaches logistics and supply chain management at Mona School of Business and Management, The University of the West Indies. Send comments to the Observer or franklinjohnstontoo@gmail.com.