Tweet
Extend the state of emergency?
EDITORIAL - Extend the state of emergency
Published: Monday | July 19, 2010 0 Comments and 0 Reactions
We note last week's extension by the Defence Board, until August 18, of the call-out of the Jamaica Defence Force's (JDF) reserve to allow their continued help in security operations under the state of emergency. That was important, given the scale of the operations that have been executed by the security forces over the past seven weeks or so, and the small size of both the JDF and the Jamaica Constabulary Force. But while we appreciate the extended call-out of the Jamaica National Reserve, we see it as only a tentative first step in a situation that demands clarity, boldness and firm resolves. There is a sufficiently clear correlation between the successes that have been achieved and the declaration of a state of emergency for reasonable conclusions to be drawn. These are firmly in favour of its extension.
In this regard, we repeat our call for the security forces to be allowed emergency powers until the end of this year, and that their application be broadened from the parishes of Kingston and, and St Catherine, to the entire island.
DIRECT ATTACKS ON STATE
A state of emergency was only imposed after Christopher 'Dudus' Coke and his supporters, emboldened by the Golding administration's nine months of resistance to the United States extradition request for the alleged drug lord, made direct attacks on the Jamaican state, and public pressure eventually forced Prime Minister Bruce Golding to back down.
Coke's west redoubt of Tivoli Gardens was overrun, and his command and control in the community wrecked. He is now in the hands of the Americans.
Already, there are well over 700 homicides in for 2010, but what is significant is, what has happened in the period since the declaration of the state of emergency on May 23. In the month of June, the number of murders declined by approximately a quarter, to 91, which is, of itself significant.
But the situation is more dramatic when murders are viewed against May, when crime was in rapid acceleration. There were 87 fewer in June than in May, or a drop of 49 per cent.
CORRELATION NOT CAUSATION
Of course, we will be reminded that correlation does not equate to causation and there are sufficient voices to claim the inefficacy of this state of emergency and the abhorrence of such powers in a democracy. On the face of it, it sounds good.
Except that while the real threat to the Jamaican state that erupted over the Labour Day weekend may have receded, or appear to have done so, it has not gone away. Many of the irregulars who attacked the security forces and burnt police stations are, with some of their leaders temporarily sidelined, more likely to be in tactical retreat, rather than have laid down arms. Given an opportunity, they will be back with a vengeance, running extortion rackets and effectively in control of the ports.
Moreover, Jamaica with more than 1,700 murders last year, is not in a 'normal' policing environment. Even the 91 murders in June point to an abnormal situation. The forces need to be provided with the circumstances to gain some level of normality in security, in which 'regular' policing is possible.
There are signs that we can get there.
Published: Monday | July 19, 2010 0 Comments and 0 Reactions
We note last week's extension by the Defence Board, until August 18, of the call-out of the Jamaica Defence Force's (JDF) reserve to allow their continued help in security operations under the state of emergency. That was important, given the scale of the operations that have been executed by the security forces over the past seven weeks or so, and the small size of both the JDF and the Jamaica Constabulary Force. But while we appreciate the extended call-out of the Jamaica National Reserve, we see it as only a tentative first step in a situation that demands clarity, boldness and firm resolves. There is a sufficiently clear correlation between the successes that have been achieved and the declaration of a state of emergency for reasonable conclusions to be drawn. These are firmly in favour of its extension.
In this regard, we repeat our call for the security forces to be allowed emergency powers until the end of this year, and that their application be broadened from the parishes of Kingston and, and St Catherine, to the entire island.
DIRECT ATTACKS ON STATE
A state of emergency was only imposed after Christopher 'Dudus' Coke and his supporters, emboldened by the Golding administration's nine months of resistance to the United States extradition request for the alleged drug lord, made direct attacks on the Jamaican state, and public pressure eventually forced Prime Minister Bruce Golding to back down.
Coke's west redoubt of Tivoli Gardens was overrun, and his command and control in the community wrecked. He is now in the hands of the Americans.
Already, there are well over 700 homicides in for 2010, but what is significant is, what has happened in the period since the declaration of the state of emergency on May 23. In the month of June, the number of murders declined by approximately a quarter, to 91, which is, of itself significant.
But the situation is more dramatic when murders are viewed against May, when crime was in rapid acceleration. There were 87 fewer in June than in May, or a drop of 49 per cent.
CORRELATION NOT CAUSATION
Of course, we will be reminded that correlation does not equate to causation and there are sufficient voices to claim the inefficacy of this state of emergency and the abhorrence of such powers in a democracy. On the face of it, it sounds good.
Except that while the real threat to the Jamaican state that erupted over the Labour Day weekend may have receded, or appear to have done so, it has not gone away. Many of the irregulars who attacked the security forces and burnt police stations are, with some of their leaders temporarily sidelined, more likely to be in tactical retreat, rather than have laid down arms. Given an opportunity, they will be back with a vengeance, running extortion rackets and effectively in control of the ports.
Moreover, Jamaica with more than 1,700 murders last year, is not in a 'normal' policing environment. Even the 91 murders in June point to an abnormal situation. The forces need to be provided with the circumstances to gain some level of normality in security, in which 'regular' policing is possible.
There are signs that we can get there.
Comment