Whose human rights are they protecting?

THE EDITOR, Sir:

THE VOICES of the parliamentary Opposition, the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) and human-rights organisations rang loud during the last state of emergency (SOE) in St James. They insisted that the security forces were encroaching on the rights of citizens. This led to the eventual removal of the SOE. As expected, the released suspects went back into their respective communities and turned the streets red with blood.

Jamaica is such a small place, everyone knows who the gunmen are. The police are not stupid. They, too, know the gunmen and gangsters well, as the same names are called after every gruesome murder. However, they don’t have the evidence or witnesses willing to testify to put them behind bars. The recent release of eight members of the One Order Gang, due to lack of witnesses, is a testament to this.

HESITANT POLICE

And with INDECOM also breathing down their necks, the police often do everything to avoid confrontation with gunmen. When you see the police entering a volatile community with their blue lights flashing, it’s obvious they do not want to accidentally buck up into any gunmen.

Emboldened by this indirect support from the Opposition, INDECOM and human-rights groups, criminals have become bolder and brazen. Hence, as a result of all this protection of human rights, the only losers are law-abiding citizens. CONCERNED ABOUT CRIME