Tweet
There is NO law enforcement solution to Jamaica's crime crisis, short of a military takeover..... even that would only work for a while... then it would be back to normal... ie mayhem... even with the military in the streets.
The inadequacy of a law enforcement led approach as a solution is a question of:
1. mathematics
We produce criminals much FASTER than they can be killed, captured or deterred
2. economics
It is MUCH CHEAPER for Jamaica to produce those prone to criminality than it is to improve law enforcement to the point where criminals are killed, captured or deterred at a higher rate than we can produce them.
This is why our traditional law enforcement approach to crime reduction will ALWAYS ultimately fail.... especially with our flawed law enforcement apparatus.
Of course this is not to say that the justice system should not be upgraded... it needs massive investment.... double the size of the police service , new training, equipment, new prisons, overhaul the court system, modernized laws etc etc
But this cannot make the required breakthrough ... something radical is needed in combination with improved law enforcement.... and if this something is not found... improved law enforcement will largely be a waste of time and money.
I think Wignall has some interesting approaches..... the devil is always in the details and clearly his outline proposal needs to be thought through and refined to be workable but his proposal is worthwhile.
There is scope for an enhanced role by the churches in the affected communities as well as the PMI or similar intervention NGOs... as intermediaries or honest brokers between the GOJ authorities/security forces and the criminal leaders who control communities. Churches have infrastructure throughout Jamaica... it's time to stop preaching to the choir... time to reach out to the untouchables.
Church leaders need to go further than prayer breakfasts at the Pegasus (I never understood this nonsense... go where the crime is dammit!) and highly promoted statements in the press.... they need to get their hands dirty.... otherwise they are part of the problem like most of the rest of us.
Of course such a strategy has to be combined with other elements... remedial education, job creation, slum clearance and improved housing, improved infrastructure in the inner cities etc. etc
Much money has to be spent on any credible assault on this crime monster. If Jamaica intelligently spent (in new money) say US$2B over 10 years on improving the lives of people in the most at risk communities... we would be able to make a dent in this problem.
Foreigners are contemplating spending US$5b+ on individual resorts and obviously expect to make a handsome return.
Tax payers have spent more than US$1b in recent years subsidizing Air Jamaica.. with little to show for it except keeping the owners of hotels happy and some people employed.... so big spending on our most at risk people is a very small price to pay for improving their lives and gaining social stability and building our social capital... the ROI could be enormous.... dwarfing a similar amount spent on ANY other investment in Jamaica in my view... it's good economics.
Where would US$200m/year for at least 10 years come from to fund this?
Uncle Hugo's PetroCaribe Fund comes to mind..... dedicate at least 50% of this fund annually for 10 years to building social capital in ghetto communities..... we'll be on the way to a different, better country.
We have to get over our disdain of the urban and rural poor and spend significant money on improving their lives for the first time in our history... we will all benefit.
The question is NOT can we afford it...... the reality is that we CANNOT afford NOT to do it.
The inadequacy of a law enforcement led approach as a solution is a question of:
1. mathematics
We produce criminals much FASTER than they can be killed, captured or deterred
2. economics
It is MUCH CHEAPER for Jamaica to produce those prone to criminality than it is to improve law enforcement to the point where criminals are killed, captured or deterred at a higher rate than we can produce them.
This is why our traditional law enforcement approach to crime reduction will ALWAYS ultimately fail.... especially with our flawed law enforcement apparatus.
Of course this is not to say that the justice system should not be upgraded... it needs massive investment.... double the size of the police service , new training, equipment, new prisons, overhaul the court system, modernized laws etc etc
But this cannot make the required breakthrough ... something radical is needed in combination with improved law enforcement.... and if this something is not found... improved law enforcement will largely be a waste of time and money.
I think Wignall has some interesting approaches..... the devil is always in the details and clearly his outline proposal needs to be thought through and refined to be workable but his proposal is worthwhile.
There is scope for an enhanced role by the churches in the affected communities as well as the PMI or similar intervention NGOs... as intermediaries or honest brokers between the GOJ authorities/security forces and the criminal leaders who control communities. Churches have infrastructure throughout Jamaica... it's time to stop preaching to the choir... time to reach out to the untouchables.
Church leaders need to go further than prayer breakfasts at the Pegasus (I never understood this nonsense... go where the crime is dammit!) and highly promoted statements in the press.... they need to get their hands dirty.... otherwise they are part of the problem like most of the rest of us.
Of course such a strategy has to be combined with other elements... remedial education, job creation, slum clearance and improved housing, improved infrastructure in the inner cities etc. etc
Much money has to be spent on any credible assault on this crime monster. If Jamaica intelligently spent (in new money) say US$2B over 10 years on improving the lives of people in the most at risk communities... we would be able to make a dent in this problem.
Foreigners are contemplating spending US$5b+ on individual resorts and obviously expect to make a handsome return.
Tax payers have spent more than US$1b in recent years subsidizing Air Jamaica.. with little to show for it except keeping the owners of hotels happy and some people employed.... so big spending on our most at risk people is a very small price to pay for improving their lives and gaining social stability and building our social capital... the ROI could be enormous.... dwarfing a similar amount spent on ANY other investment in Jamaica in my view... it's good economics.
Where would US$200m/year for at least 10 years come from to fund this?
Uncle Hugo's PetroCaribe Fund comes to mind..... dedicate at least 50% of this fund annually for 10 years to building social capital in ghetto communities..... we'll be on the way to a different, better country.
We have to get over our disdain of the urban and rural poor and spend significant money on improving their lives for the first time in our history... we will all benefit.
The question is NOT can we afford it...... the reality is that we CANNOT afford NOT to do it.
Comment