Policing

In our little island, the actions of the police and their ability to stem the upsurge in violent crimes over the past year or two has raised many an eyebrow in recent days. it came as no surprise that the Commissioner has opted for early retirement. Our Sunday Gleaner (yes mi reading stale news again) had no less than four different articles and several editorials which addressed different aspects of the security forces. The Observer went as far as to produce a list of senior police officials and their date of birth and also their seniority by date of joining the force. I will say here that I think this type of information was in poor taste as I think that these officials are entitled to some level of privacy and personal dignity. The article comes in the wake of a earlier publication from the commissioner who stated that he wanted to give younger persons a chance at tackling the problem from new innovative ways or some crap like that. I will say that I sympathize with our law enforcers because in my opinion they face a damned if you do damned if you don't situation. If they get tough (which seems to be the only thing that some people respond to) then the JFJ and Human Rights people from all over the world rank them as the worst evil on earth and if they play soft then the crime skyrockets and they get hauled through the coals by their constituents. In one article a government opposition spokesman suggested softer policing is needed. Not sure I can even understand what he means. Can they get any softer than how they are now. On face value, im not really so righted if yuh know what ah mean. Crime escalating and you want softer policing. In my view, it really doesn't matter whether we have harder or softer policing because as long as the criminal element continues to be supported by the political electorate and business entities we will never have a solution to a growing problem. To this day I remember one politician on national radio profess that guns were never issued by his party and he has no knowledge of guns being used in campaigning. He lost any credibility he may have had with me up to that point. In reality though our problems go deeper than just murders and theft. It goes to a disregard for human life and the credence given by our "big men" to the criminal element in our society. I dare to add that these problems are not being helped by 1st world nations who continue to deport hard core criminals to countries that cannot afford to deal with them and who have in most cases not committed any culpable acts so as to warrant their detention on there return to a nation that they have long since scorned. These same nations then turn around and demand that measures be put in place to curb the transport of drugs to their country. Let me whisper to them..."Is di same criminal dem wey yuh send back causing yuh problems". Softer policing, harder policing????? Mi really nuh know.