Focus needed on mental, social element of crime – McGregor
THE TRIVIAL reasons that trigger disputes in Jamaica, often ending in death, speaks to a deeper societal problem, which, if not resolved, will continue to fuel the country’s frightening murder rate, with the police always playing catch-up, believes Senior Superintendent of Police Steve McGregor.
He told last Thursday’s official opening ceremony for the Kintyre Citizens’ Association Community Resource Centre in East Rural St Andrew that Jamaica’s murder rate has overshadowed the gains made by crime fighters in other areas.
“It is sad that for the last 13 to 14 years, we have been murdering over a thousand people in Jamaica on an average. Most of you don’t know that. We don’t need to be doing this. And all that the police are doing to reduce the opportunity – taking the guns off the street; arresting over 10,000 people every year for serious crimes – we continue to kill each other. So it is time now to focus on that mental side,” McGregor stated.
“Why is it that two youngsters will be quarrelling over if Messi is greater than Ronaldo and one of them end up dead? There is nothing that the police can do that is going to stop that, but if we get closer to the community and try to influence that attitude that is fuelling that behaviour that is causing citizens to kill each other for so simple a reason, we will get to solving it.”
The veteran crime fighter, who has a reputation for an unorthodox approach to community policing, including curfews for children, charged the audience to examine their lives and how they have failed to support the crime fighting process.
“If each and every one of you inside here today takes an introspective look into our lives, we have somebody in our family that is involved in criminal activities. And notice, I said each and everyone one of us. Yes, we have somebody in our families that is involved in criminal activity, but that is not the bad part. It is when the question is asked, ‘What are you doing about it?’,” he charged.
“Invariably, the answer will be ‘nothing’, but you expect we the police to know what is happening and come and solve it. We want you to get on board. That silent majority is remaining silent for too long. You must be a part of what we are doing to deal with crime and violence in our communities.”