Crime, Fear and the Jamaican Private Security Firm

WARNING: Some of the images in the above are graphic and hence discretion is advised

Several Jamaican residential communities have now turned to the private security industry to provide auxiliary security support in the face on a protracted crime surge and the island being bestowed with the moniker “Murder Capital of the World”- consequent on having the highest per capita murder rate. In this regard, the communities of Seymour Lands, Trafalgar Park and the residential sections of New Kingston are not exceptions, with an estimated 50 – 60 percent of all homes being involved in some formal arrangement with one of the private security firms or an informal arrangement with individuals to provide services. However, perversely, the continued success of the private security industry in these communities and the wider Jamaican society is predicated on the continued instability of the society. For its part, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is perceived as being understaffed and under-funded and in need of support in an effort to meet the challenges of today’s crime-ridden society.

In fact, householders are paying substantial sums of money not only to have private guards patrol their communities, gated or otherwise, but they have also invested heavily in panic buttons and other alarm systems. Further some gated communities who are unable to afford the private security fees have decided to engage the services of “gatemen” who are paid at the level of security guards and which provide de facto security services where necessary. There are also communities who have or are seeking to implement neighbourhood watches – where groups of citizens patrol their respective communities and develop their own early alert mechanism in the event any potential criminal activity is determined.

However it should be noted that the communities of Seymour Lands, Trafalgar Park and the residential sections of New Kingston are served by the Matildas Corner and Half Way Tree Police Stations, with additional support being available through the New Kingston Police Post. Nevertheless, the citizenry perceives that they require the private security services. This is guided by the fact that the police have been unable to control the incidents of house breaking and larceny, armed robbery, petty thefts, drug pushing, street prostitution and the proliferation of sensuous massage parlours which obtain in the communities. Further, the response times from the private security entities are considerably faster, routinely ranging from 3 to 5 minutes whereas in the case of the Police, the responses can range from as low as 3 minutes to hours or non-arrival. This is not aided by the inordinate delays in the answering of the 119 emergency numbers on occasion. Nevertheless, presuming the accuracy of recent claims that the major crimes are trending down, it remains unclear whether there has been a concomitant increase in arrests and indeed if the improved statistics can be attributed to more efficient policing or to the involvement of the private security entities. Indeed, the impact of the JCF is further undermined by their inability / unwillingness to enforce the Noise Abatement Act (1997), which leaves many residential communities feeling vulnerable and turning to private services.

Whereas it is clear that auxiliary services, such as the private security firms can never replace the Jamaica Constabulary Force, there is an obvious need for increased personnel. As at March 2006, there were some 12, 891 security guards relative to 8, 100 members of the police force (out of an establishment figure of 8,500). There is also the obvious but chronic shortage of equipment facing the JCF relative to the private security industry. As one homeowner laments “When we were growing up, the police would routinely conduct neighbourhood patrols and would on occasion stop and check on individual dwellings (particularly the elderly) to see if they had any particular concerns about their security. Those days are long gone but then in a country where an $80 million price tag for a motor car is deemed “reasonable” can we be surprised?”

See Also
The Case Against Mixed-Use Developments Part 1