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There has been a renewal of calls for more radical measures to fight the country's spiralling crime rate.
One such call has been for the authorities to impose a state of emergency.
The idea is being supported by Pastor of the Hope United Church, Revered Roderick Hewitt.
"I seriously wonder whether we will have a state of emergency that will seize guns and criminals. We haven't seen the evidence of that but with the fear that people has, maybe the state of emergency meets another kind of need, the impression that at least the government is doing something, and that they're going after the criminals.
"Right now, people are desperate and if the government does not act with some kind of seriousness, the increase in hopelessness among the populace will grow even deeper and people will be tempted to take things into their own hands," Reverend Dr. Hewitt said.
Peter Espeut.But Sociologist Peter Espeut says a state of emergency would be an infringement on people's rights.
"What does a state of emergency do, what does it mean? It is where you suspend the human and civil rights of the population and you give the police more power which they wouldn't normally have to supposedly get the guns.
"But the while the country's murder rate is one of the highest in the world, we also have one of the highest rates of police killings in the world. There are some who would argue that the human and civil rights of the citizens are already being taken away by the security forces who are somewhat out of control, so I'm not sure how much of a difference having a state of emergency will make," Mr. Espeut said.
Both Reverend Dr. Hewitt and Mr. Espeut were speaking on RJR's weekly news review programme That's a Wrap.
http://www.radiojamaica.com/content/view/27068/26/
One such call has been for the authorities to impose a state of emergency.
The idea is being supported by Pastor of the Hope United Church, Revered Roderick Hewitt.
"I seriously wonder whether we will have a state of emergency that will seize guns and criminals. We haven't seen the evidence of that but with the fear that people has, maybe the state of emergency meets another kind of need, the impression that at least the government is doing something, and that they're going after the criminals.
"Right now, people are desperate and if the government does not act with some kind of seriousness, the increase in hopelessness among the populace will grow even deeper and people will be tempted to take things into their own hands," Reverend Dr. Hewitt said.
Peter Espeut.But Sociologist Peter Espeut says a state of emergency would be an infringement on people's rights.
"What does a state of emergency do, what does it mean? It is where you suspend the human and civil rights of the population and you give the police more power which they wouldn't normally have to supposedly get the guns.
"But the while the country's murder rate is one of the highest in the world, we also have one of the highest rates of police killings in the world. There are some who would argue that the human and civil rights of the citizens are already being taken away by the security forces who are somewhat out of control, so I'm not sure how much of a difference having a state of emergency will make," Mr. Espeut said.
Both Reverend Dr. Hewitt and Mr. Espeut were speaking on RJR's weekly news review programme That's a Wrap.
http://www.radiojamaica.com/content/view/27068/26/
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