Jamaica has been ranked 10th on the global list of countries with the highest rates of crime, despite a 20 per cent decrease in murders and other major crimes for the first quarter of this year, according to the 2023 World Population Review.

At the same time, the latest US State Department travel advisory issued in May trumpets: “Violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides, are common.”

In view of these developments, Jamaica should be infused with the desire to get on top of our crime situation, knowing how much it is robbing our people of their peace of mind and preventing so many of our nationals from visiting or returning home to contribute to the country’s economy.

Instead, what we have are two political parties slugging it out over the results of a poll conducted by Mr Don Anderson — one salivating over the numbers favourable to it and the other foaming at the mouth over the numbers not in its favour.

“The poll is sponsored by the PNP [People’s National Party] and its findings are designed to artificially influence public opinion. The release of [this] party-sponsored poll is part of the PNP’s propaganda and misinformation campaign intended to shore up a weak leader, sow discontent, and distract the country with political mischief,” the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) charged in a release Tuesday after the PNP announced the findings.

For its part, the PNP said it was a “good day” for the party and represented “a significant improvement — close to 100 per cent actually — over the 12-month period for the PNP. Similarly, the JLP’s fortunes have declined steadily over the period and, hence, having more or less caught them up in February this year, the PNP has now surged ahead… a little over five per cent of persons who are indicating who they would vote for if an election was called now”.

Disputing poll results is what politicians do, so no surprises there. What is alarming, though, is that beyond the numbers for or against them, they have ignored the most important finding of Mr Anderson’s exercise — that 45 per cent of respondents named crime and violence as the main issue affecting the country.

Indeed, crime came way ahead of usually high-ranking issues such as high cost of living at 16 per cent, unemployment also at 16 per cent, corruption at six per cent, and unemployment specifically among young people at three per cent.

We don’t believe that Jamaicans care more about whom they vote for above having a crime-free country. Patriotic politicians should want to take crime out of the tribal arena and work together, leading the populace in a joint effort to put our vicious murderers out of business.

Notice how quiet things have been on the Vale Royal front even while the Government continues to rely on states of public emergency that, while being a temporary solution, are nothing more than band aid on a diabetic sore that refuses to heal.

What a day that would be if the energy used by the two major political parties in quarrelling about poll results were devoted to mobilising the country against crime and violence. We don’t believe that is an impossible ask of them.