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IT WAS refreshing
to read on the front page of this newspaper last Friday
that the police had snubbed negotiating with criminals.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Leon Rose, who is
also chairman of the Police Officers Association,
made it very clear that he and his association would
not be sitting down with criminals who "have murdered
and killed babies; it cannot be!" ACP Rose is absolutely
right on that one. ACP Rose charged that "In some
quarters a subtle attempt is being made in the name
of peace to hold negotiations with criminals." To
Mr. Rose, this was a wrong approach to fighting crime.
When one sits down to negotiate, the objective has to be a compromise, otherwise starting the negotiations would be futile. The point that ACP Rose is making is that those who are seeking peace are making a serious mistake in sitting down with obviously known criminals who have murdered innocent civilians, raped innocent women - young and old - and pointedly shot and killed young babies and their mothers.
In a civil society, where, may I ask, is the room to negotiate with criminals who have taken the pre-eminent gift from others of our countrymen - the gift of life? And why are some of us offering (most likely, I believe, unintended) succour to murderers and rapists by even offering them the impression that their crimes can be negotiated away rather than them paying the awesome price that they should pay if we were really running a fair and civil society? How much negotiation do these criminals enter into with their dead, maimed or damaged victims? Businessmen, politicians and civic leaders, think about that.
A MATTER OF INTEGRITY
It was heartening to read that a public official of the standing of ACP Rose actually used the word 'wrong' in describing the negotiating-with-criminal approach to fighting crime. Somehow words like 'right' and 'wrong' are no longer used in high places - as if it is wrong to do so. Integrity is the moral and spiritual strength that causes a person to do what is right instead of what is wrong - in private or in public. Clearly, integrity is the characteristic in individuals that causes them to do right when doing wrong is the easy, profitable and even popular alternative. Practising to do the right things improves one's integrity. Practising to do the wrong things erodes any integrity that we may have had.
It is great to hear ACP Rose take this principled stand on negotiating and, I trust, associating with criminals. But really, where we need to have this stand taken is at the highest echelons of our public, social and commercial leadership. Quite frankly, too few of us are adamant enough against the association with and accommodation of criminals, or negotiating with them.
Those in the People's National Party who are running for the presidency of that party should, individually and collectively, take as clear and as unequivocal a stand on negotiating and associating with known criminals as ACP Rose has taken. The leader of the Jamaica Labour Party and his party executives need to be equally as forthright. Leaders, when in doubt don't deal. Ordinary citizens have to send a firm message to political leaders who want our votes that when it comes to criminals, "if you associate we disassociate".
VERY IMPORTANT AND URGENT
Without a doubt it is both important and urgent to deal with the many issues of poverty in our country. Similarly it is equally important and urgent to deal with the pressing needs of educating our people at all levels. There are other just as pressing issues that are important and urgent. But at this time in Jamaica the most pressingly important and urgent issue has to be that of crime and especially the murder of innocent civilians. In last Sunday's Gleaner an article in the business section carried this headline: 'Crime stifling Jamaica's progress - UN Envoy' and that UN envoy, Juan Espinola, warned of "dire consequences for the country if it does not bring the situation under control."
Our own statisticians tell us that crime is costing us about 4 per cent of GDP per year. We know that many tourists are getting more concerned about the murder rate in Jamaica. All this tells us that unless we get the rate of crime, and especially murder, under complete control many of our efforts to raise our poor people from poverty and educate our citizens to compete in a globalised world, will be largely useless. We need a stable, crime-free society to execute effectively on those other important and urgent policy needs.
WE MUST FIND THE MONEY
ACP Leon Rose was very critical of the authorities for not providing the police with the necessary money they need to fight crime more effectively. The Police High Command - including Commissioner Thomas, DCP Shields, Scarlett, Bent and others - must ensure that the funds that they have are well spent, and the assets that the Force has, such as cars and other equipment are well cared for and maintained. But given the importance and urgency of the galloping murder and crime rates in Jamaica, the political leadership must find the funds to equip the Force to meet the elevated and modern firepower of the criminal establishment. Also, while we must not negotiate with murderers, because that would suggest that we are willing to compromise our position against theirs, I certainly hope the negotiations between the police force and the Government on the issues of compensation will end soon on a mutually acceptable compromise.
Source: Jamaica
Gleaner
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