SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — A senior lawman in this parish is the latest to express concern about how difficult it is to get people to serve as jurors.

A tough-talking commanding officer for the Westmoreland Police Division, Senior Superintendent (SSP) Wayne Josephs told Thursday’s monthly meeting of the parish’s municipal corporation that being a part of the judicial process is one way citizens, who are clamouring for the police to be more effective, can help in the fight against crime.

“A challenge that we have is finding jurors to come represent [and] support [the police]. If you really want to see these [criminals] brought to justice, you have to come on board and support the system,” he urged.

Josephs said another challenge that the police face is locating jurors, as many people are not known by their legal names.

“You have persons within some communities who barely, or sometimes none at all, know the correct names of their neighbours — sometimes people live in the same house with people and don’t know their correct names,” he said.

Yet another hurdle faced by lawmen is residents’ unwillingness to help them locate jurors living in their communities, he said, and many jurors who are found often try to find a way out of serving.

“Sometimes the persons who are found that are served, they find every excuse possible in the world not to come to assist the process,” Josephs said.

“There is no point in sitting at your house and hoping that [perpetrators] will be put behind bars if you don’t decide or plan to support the initiative and to do your civic duty,” the senior cop stressed.

There has long been a concern about a general unwillingness, across the country, to participate in jury duty. After handling a matter in the Westmoreland Circuit Court in July, Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn noted that less than 13 people had turned up for jury duty at the start of circuit.

Some individuals called to serve in the past have cited the inconvenience of being a juror, fear of reprisal from those involved in the proceedings, and more reasons they are reluctant to serve.

Anyone between the ages of 18 and 70 with a Tax Registration Number, or anyone who is registered to vote in Jamaica may be summoned for jury duty.

Jurors receive a stipend of $2,000 for each day they are empanelled for a trial.