Smith Out, McMillan In: Some Real Solutions to Crime

Although in a perverse sense, the Jamaican economy does benefit to some degree from criminal enterprises through foreign currency flows, the overall costs totally outweigh any benefits. Indeed criminal activity is so pervasive across the island that it can be determined to be a causal factor in the relatively high levels of migration of skilled and highly educated persons. It is also a significant impediment to investment and hence development of the island. Hence, in treating effectively with the problem, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) must be given the requisite funds to tackle the tasks at hand. Efforts also have to be made to combat and reverse the negative perceptions about their efficiency and efficacy. This as increasingly the more affluent communities turn to private security entities to police their communities and in the poorer inner city areas they become more reliant on informal security mechanisms.

The following represent recommendations to treat with some elements of the problems of policing and security. These are not intended to be exhaustive but provide an additional perspective which should inform the determination of a more fulsome crime initiative:

Police Stations in high crime zones: There is a need for the establishment of dedicated police stations in high crime zones. For example in Whitfield Town there are nine operational gangs and a protracted period of conflict with no dedicated police stations. There are some 125 active gangs in Jamaica, which highlights the fact that in nearly all inner city communities there are active gangs, which directly impact on criminal activity within and outside the communities. Further, in the peri-urban and rural communities, in some instances, the police stations are some distance away, which sometimes impact on their effectiveness. These police stations need to be well equipped and staffed and the practice of some police stations actually closing their doors in the nights need to be discontinued. Increased police presence over time will lead to the removal of roadblocks and other impediments as confidence levels increase.

Increased number of Police personnel: To treat adequately with the shortage of personnel, there is a need to increase the number of police personnel from 8,500 to at least 12,000. Further, it is also being recommended that police personnel currently assigned to desk duties performing functions that could be done by civilians be redeployed into the field and civilians employed to replace them. There also needs to be increased training of member of the ISCF with a view to merging this group with the JCF.

Improved Community Relations: One of the greatest difficulties in solving crimes in Jamaica today is the inherent mistrust of the police, particularly by the citizenry. This phenomenon is replicated by and large across inner city communities and can only be improved by heightened and meaningful community relations. In this regard, there is need for speedier and more transparent investigative processes in order to ensure continued confidence in the system by the victims of crime.It is also recommended that each police station or division particularly in areas of high crime activity establish a hot line akin to Crime Stop and Kingfish whereby persons can communicate with the police and provide intelligence without necessarily identifying themselves. While cognizance has been taken of the fact that there are some potential difficulties, which might arise, this strategy is proposed on the basis that information may be received without the identity of the source being revealed and lead to increased “cleared-up” and conviction rates. This will be useful at least up to a point where the police/citizenry trust has been rebuilt.

Improved community relations and the attendant re-establishment of trust will minimize the influence of the area leaders and over time obviate the need for the informal security mechanisms currently employed.

Ballistic Fingerprinting: One of the more thriving businesses in the inner cities is the rental of guns. Whereas it is accepted that some of these weapons are illegal and cannot be traced to a legitimate owners, others are not. In this regard it is being recommended that all holders of registered guns be required to submit them to the authorities for ballistic fingerprinting so in the event these weapons are used to commit criminal acts then the registry can be accessed and a match determined. Similarly all police issue weaponry must be subject to ballistic fingerprinting.

Transfer of Fingerprints from the EOJ: In an effort to accelerate the investigation of crimes it is recommended that all fingerprints collected under the Electoral Office of Jamaica’s enumeration exercise be transferred to a central database, which can be accessed by police investigators.

Improved judicial process: Though necessarily outside the purview of this study, it is recommended that institutional strengthening be provided to facilitate speedier trials. Currently, the average time between arrest and trial is approximately 4 years during which time persons (largely because of lack of space) are transferred to one of the prisons and in more recent times to the Horizon Remand Centre. This tends to overturn the judicial maxim of innocence until proven guilty and leads to greater frustration and mistrust at the community level. Further, a review of the application of bail needs to be conducted, as currently it appears to be largely discretionary and highly subjective. Also the matter of legal representation is discretionary in terms of persons charged with drug offences who by statute are not entitled to legal aid. Further, in the event of conviction the appeals process is a protracted one given that the judgments are hand written and then typed – which could be easily addressed through the use of computers.

Equality under the Law: Legislative amendment needs to be effected to discontinue the distinction being made between capital and non-capital muder as previously obtained as all citizens are equal under the law and hence for example the murder of a police officer should rank no higher than that of anyone else. Similarly the practice of awaiting a ruling from the Director of Public Prosecutions before a member of the police force can be arrested should be discontinued.

Other Crime Initiatives:

Registration of Sex Offenders: There is a need for the establishment of a National Registry for sex offenders in conjunction with the requisite legislative amendment to compel such persons to register with the nearest police station when such persons change residence.

Electronic Tracking of Parolees: There is a need for legislation which will facilitate the electronic tracking of parolees and to the extent possible deportees

License Plates by Parish: There is need for the introduction of specially demarcated license plates which can allow for the easier identification and tracking of out of parish vehicles by the security forces

Curfew for Children: The need for the introduction of legislation with meaningful penalties for breaches which institutes a permanent curfew for children (persons under the age of 18 years) to 9pm on weekdays and perhaps 11pm on weekends

Identification cards: A requirement for all persons over the age of 18 to have identification cards and in particular to determine that minors are not being served alcohol or having access to adult entertainment. Breaches must be punished by harsh penalties.

Outdoor Electronic Boards: The establishment of outdoor electronic boards ideally placed on the highways and toll roads as part of an Early Alert Mechanism whereby citizens can actively become part of the crime fighting process. This would be in form akin to the Amber Alert strategies which obtain in the USA

Jamaica’s Most Wanted: There is need for the routine publication of the photographs of Jamaica’s most wanted persons. The current strategy of merely providing a description is a colossal waste of time as the only persons who can assist are those that actually know the individual. This can be communicated to the public in the same format that Crime Stop uses.

Neighbourhood Watches: There is an increased need for the establishment of Neighbourhood Watches under the guidance of the Police.

Buses: Equip all publicly owned buses with cameras to record any anti-social activity which can be perhaps used later in a court of law as part of the evidence pool. In the same vein all public passenger vehicles should be prohibited from having tinted windows.

Cameras: There is need for the use of cameras placed at strategic locations particularly in areas with a relatively high propensity for crime as an aid to crime fighting. Similarly speed cameras should be installed which records traffic infractions and will allow for the identification of the owner of a vehicle and its owner / driver for subsequent ticketing which would be delivered to the person’s home. This system works in the UK and would allow for a redeployment of more officers to deal with more serious breaches of the law.

Social Interventions

Trade Training Centres and Literacy Programmes: One of the solutions to the problem of crime in the ICBSP communities is the provision of opportunities for training in an effort to increase the rates of employment within the communities. Hence, it is being suggested that Trade Training Centres be established in each of the communities to facilitate training in masonry, carpentry, and electrical installations among other trades in other to improve the marketability of residents. Though HEART/NTA provides some of these services, in some cases residents are unable to meet even the minimum entry requirements and hence the need for direct intervention. There is also the need for literacy programmes in the inner-city communities.

Other Social Interventions: It is recommended that the Peace Management Initiative and other such forms of social intervention be strengthened so as to the facilitate island wide interventions. Further, it is also being proposed that where additional housing is required that such housing is not provided in politically homogenized areas and that due care be exercised that the distribution of these units is not corrupted by attempts at homogenization. This is perhaps one of the key variables in disrupting the formation of structured inner-city settlements defined as garrisons. This is likely to be difficult but if the perpetual cycle of violence and anti-social behaviour is to be stopped attempts at disrupting the garrisons must be attempted.

Obviously, these and other strategies can only be effective in the face of political will and a spirit of cooperation and unity within the police force. In this regard, the recent pronouncements by the Police Federation Chairman and the obvious combative stance adopted regarding the newly installed Commissioner of Police and Minister of National Security, is counterproductive and is reflective of a breakdown in discipline within the organization. Crime is a serious problem in Jamaica and requires serious people to deal with it, hence the petty squabbling and political posturing by some police groupings needs to stop, failing which perhaps there will be need to turn to the Jamaican army for its assistance as a united front is required to effectively tackle the monster of crime.