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Even the criminals themselves are concerned about the issue of crime plaguing our country. It’s on everyone’s minds.
Over the last few decades, every political party seeking to be elected, campaigns on being able to do what is necessary to lessen the crime rate. The Andrew Holness-led Administration campaigned in 2016 on the issue of crime being a national imperative and an urgent priority. Since then, there has been talk that the Administration has not delivered, given that criminality is still widespread for certain types of crime and especially that the murder rate has not fallen significantly.
Personally, I disagree with the argument that the current Government has not made the situation better. More than anything else, I believe the work being undertaken has brought to the fore the depth of the problem and the fact that longterm solutions are neither quick nor easy.
For a long time, the strategy has been to form special squads within the police force. These squads have had the role of weeding out criminal elements across the country. While, in certain instances, they may have produced short-term reduction in the numbers, it cannot be concluded that, as a crime strategy, the formation of special squads has made the crime situation in Jamaica better.
These days a multi-pronged approach is being undertaken by the Government, which will not immediately bear an abundance of fruit, but the strategy augurs well for a sustainable end to the growth of this scourge on our society.
As human beings we often need instant gratification and, in this instance, where our lives and those of our families are at risk, this need for immediate ease becomes even more urgent. Every law-abiding Jamaican would love to experience at least one month with zero reports of violent crimes within our borders.
Seemingly, the Government was aware of this need for immediate relief while working on the more long-term sustainable plan. Hence, the employment of states of public emergencies (SOES) and the zones of special operations (ZOSOS). Those measures provided reprieve for many communities and individuals. Yes, the argument was and can be made that there are flaws with ZOSOS and SOES, but I believe that we are experiencing a crisis situation, and as such special measures have to be in place until the results of more sustainable plans take root.
Outside of the short-term measures, the Government has been working on what the prime minister recently referred to as the hardware and software components of the plan to curb the crime rate in Jamaica. Within these categories he spoke of, among other things, the increased spending on varying things from better working environs for police