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EDITORIAL - Crushing the gangs
Published: Tuesday | December 27, 2011
Mr Owen Ellington, the police chief, is right about the murder of Navardo Hodges, the reputed leader of the notorious Clansman gang, whose head was severed.
Said Mr Ellington: "I can't see the death of anyone as a major success for law enforcement. I think the objective is to bring persons to justice."
Indeed, as Mr Ellington noted, Hodges' death means not only that there are other murderers at large, but raises the prospect of violent reprisals in Spanish Town, where Clansman operates.
The demise of Hodges, whom the police implicate in dozens of murders, raises two important issues for law enforcement and justice in Jamaica.
The first of these was addressed by the sociologist/criminologist, Professor Anthony Harriott, at a forum hosted by this newspaper last week. He contended that people murder in the fashion in which Hodges was killed because the perpetrators have a sense of impunity.
"You are inviting people to come after you," said Professor Harriott.
Low conviction rate
Indeed, despite the more than 40 per cent decline in homicides since the 2010 extradition of Christopher Coke and the degrading of his Tivoli Gardens-based criminal infrastructure, more than 1,000 persons are still murdered in Jamaica annually.
Few of these murderers are ever arrested, much more convicted. The police clear-up rate for murder is under 30 per cent and, according to Professor Harriott, the conviction rate is "appallingly low".
While the actions that degrade the infrastructure and contain the activities of Jamaica's criminal enterprises will lead to a reduction in homicides, other critical deterrents, the detection and conviction of criminals, are severely wanting.
The need for the constabulary to accelerate its capability in crime detection and the apprehension of criminals like Hodges is obvious. So, too, is the need to create an efficient justice system.
These must be high on the agenda of a new administration after this week's general election.
Strategy update necessary
The second matter exposed by Hodges' murder is the continued potency of gangs in Jamaica and the success of Mr Ellington's anti-gang strategy, which was to be the centrepiece of his programme. Mr Ellington must give a full account of the programme.
At the same time, it is imperative that the police go forcefully after, and smash, the Clansman and One Order gangs in Spanish Town, both of which are believed to have more than peripheral links with politicians and members of the security forces.
In the wake of the Tivoli Gardens intervention and the defeat of Coke's organisation, this newspaper argued that the security forces should have fully trained their eyes on and put their full effort against the Spanish Town gangs. There was never the level of commitment we expected. That must change.
A state of emergency in St Catherine, of which Spanish Town is the capital, and the adjoining parish of Clarendon would perhaps be in order, to facilitate this operation. Mr Ellington should also consider a robust, sustained anti-gang operation in St James, where the hard men of violence are also active.
Jamaica has to attack crime on many fronts at the same time.
Published: Tuesday | December 27, 2011
Mr Owen Ellington, the police chief, is right about the murder of Navardo Hodges, the reputed leader of the notorious Clansman gang, whose head was severed.
Said Mr Ellington: "I can't see the death of anyone as a major success for law enforcement. I think the objective is to bring persons to justice."
Indeed, as Mr Ellington noted, Hodges' death means not only that there are other murderers at large, but raises the prospect of violent reprisals in Spanish Town, where Clansman operates.
The demise of Hodges, whom the police implicate in dozens of murders, raises two important issues for law enforcement and justice in Jamaica.
The first of these was addressed by the sociologist/criminologist, Professor Anthony Harriott, at a forum hosted by this newspaper last week. He contended that people murder in the fashion in which Hodges was killed because the perpetrators have a sense of impunity.
"You are inviting people to come after you," said Professor Harriott.
Low conviction rate
Indeed, despite the more than 40 per cent decline in homicides since the 2010 extradition of Christopher Coke and the degrading of his Tivoli Gardens-based criminal infrastructure, more than 1,000 persons are still murdered in Jamaica annually.
Few of these murderers are ever arrested, much more convicted. The police clear-up rate for murder is under 30 per cent and, according to Professor Harriott, the conviction rate is "appallingly low".
While the actions that degrade the infrastructure and contain the activities of Jamaica's criminal enterprises will lead to a reduction in homicides, other critical deterrents, the detection and conviction of criminals, are severely wanting.
The need for the constabulary to accelerate its capability in crime detection and the apprehension of criminals like Hodges is obvious. So, too, is the need to create an efficient justice system.
These must be high on the agenda of a new administration after this week's general election.
Strategy update necessary
The second matter exposed by Hodges' murder is the continued potency of gangs in Jamaica and the success of Mr Ellington's anti-gang strategy, which was to be the centrepiece of his programme. Mr Ellington must give a full account of the programme.
At the same time, it is imperative that the police go forcefully after, and smash, the Clansman and One Order gangs in Spanish Town, both of which are believed to have more than peripheral links with politicians and members of the security forces.
In the wake of the Tivoli Gardens intervention and the defeat of Coke's organisation, this newspaper argued that the security forces should have fully trained their eyes on and put their full effort against the Spanish Town gangs. There was never the level of commitment we expected. That must change.
A state of emergency in St Catherine, of which Spanish Town is the capital, and the adjoining parish of Clarendon would perhaps be in order, to facilitate this operation. Mr Ellington should also consider a robust, sustained anti-gang operation in St James, where the hard men of violence are also active.
Jamaica has to attack crime on many fronts at the same time.