Gov’t should rethink crime-fighting strategy for Mobay
Dear Editor
I believe this new special squad that the commissioner of police has announced for Montego Bay, St James, is already DOA (dead on arrival).
The reason for this is that this squad will be oppressive to the people of Montego bay. What will happen is that, soon, the very people they were formed to protect will revolt against them because, I believe, they will end up, mistakenly, killing innocent people.
For the minister of national security, the commissioner of police, and the prime minister to truly impact the crime problem in the country, a special weapons and tactics (SWAT) unit is not the answer. The only way for them to truly change the situation in their favour is to establish a fully operational intelligence unit in the country – a unit that will only be required to report to the chief justice. The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) should have nothing to do with the unit, because they will not be armed. I won’t go into details on how they should be trained to operate but once trained properly, they will never need to carry a gun.
All the intelligence gathered from their investigations will be handed over to the chief justice.
A SWAT team is usually one that goes to close the gate after the horse has gone through but an intelligence team is the team who will make sure that the gate is closed before any horses get through.
So, in reality, to truly fight crime in Jamaica, we must have a strong intelligence team. Don’t forget that even the criminals have their own intelligence team, and this is why they are so effective.
It’s time for the Government to wake up and see what is really needed. I urge the Government to rethink this kind of squad and think about intelligence.