CONTROLLING CRIME VERSUS LOSING ELECTION VOTES- IS THERE A CONNECTION?

Written by John Anthony

We love to copy overseas programs even if there is no evidence to support their relevance to Jamaica. The Grameen Bank's unproven poverty reduction strategies is one current example. However, there seem to be a hesitancy to copy clearly relevant overseas programs when there is a hint that they may result in unknown or known results at the ballot box. Someone needs to explain to the nation how it can have reduced crime rates when we know the high rates of recidivism of criminals and when we know these criminals after receiving petty times behind bars will only wreak more havoc when they are released. Of course persons locked up for life do not vote or do they?

NUMBER OF U.S.A SENTENCED INMATES INCARCERATED UNDER STATE AND FEDERAL JURISDICTIONS PER 100,000 1980 T0 2006 VIOLENT CRIME LEVELS IN THE USA SINCE 1993 Do you see the conection here? When the hard core criminals are locked up permanently crime rates decrease. Simple. Is this something we should have tried forty years ago in Jamaica? Perhaps, but then the election results would have been different! So we are faced with a dilemna. Which is more important-winning elections or saving five year old Sarie from mass rape by men from August Town. Winning the seat in Spanish town or locking up the extortionists for 40 years considering extortion leads to murder, community mass rapes, arson and assassinations.We know the answer based on the actions of our political leaders.

WINNING ELECTIONS ARE FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY EFFECTIVE CRIME REDUCTION STRATEGIES ESPECIALLY WHEN SUCH STRATEGIES WILL IMPACT ELECTION RESULTS.
This is the real reason why we have talk, talk, token strategies and more talk. Listen I know you locally based journalists dare not write this kind of stuff. Your cell phones would be ringing off the hook with "bway..waachh yuh bak." or "yuh betta migraate..yuh days numbaad." So you should be dancing for joy that there is a voice willing to say what you dare not. If effective crime fighting was more important than winning elections we would have had twenty-four hour ,monitoring of the southcoast with a series of fast boats equipped with high powered cannon guns, loud speakers and power light beams forty years ago.At 200 miles long 12 such boats would be sufficient to create an impenetrable curtain operable around the clock and manned by a specially trained team. To make this even more effective every motor boat owner should be registered , the list posted on a web site, secured of course and boats monitored with identifiable markings visible from hundreds of yards away painted on both sides.

NOW SOMEONE NEEDS TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THIS HAS NOT YET BEEN DONE SINCE IT IS A SIMPLE IDEA WHICH REQUIRES NO GREAT BRAINS TO THINK UP ESPECIALLY SINCE WE KNOW THAT GUNS AND AMMUNITION HAVE BEEN COMING INTO THE ISLAND VIA THE SOUTH COAST FOR DECADES! I THINK WE NEED AN EXPLANATION FROM EVERY PAST COMMISSIONER OF POLICE AND MINISTER OF SECURITY.

Oh I forgot the reason is the election results would have been differrent.

JAMAICA WITH AN APPROXIMATELY 200 MILES OF SOUTH COAST 12 BOATS CAN EASILY PROVIDE A BLOCKADE. NOW HOW CAN HAVING A LARGE MASS OF INDISCIPLINED YOUNGSTERS BENT ON CRIME CONTRIBUTE TO WINNING ELECTIONS?

As I have written, we need a NATIONAL MENTORING PROGRAM to target the youth who lack strong parental influence. The charge that most criminals come from single parent homes is not debatable. Only dishonest or biased persons or those who have not read the research, dispute this.

THERE IS A VAST AMOUNT OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH WORLDWIDE WITH VOLUMINOUS DATA WHICH CLEARLY SHOWS THAT SINGLE PARENT CHILDREN LEADS IN ALMOST EVERY NEGATIVE CATEGORIES AND LAG IN THE POSITIVES VERSUS TWO PARENT CHILDREN.

If we think we can lower crime levels permanently without targetting the source we are living some pipe dream fantasy. But our politicians, many with PhDs all know this. So then why have they not even mentioned this? It is the election results dummy! They look at everything through the eyes of election results.. Instead the PM is talking about detaining innocent persons at will for undetermined periods? THAT IS STALIN'S RUSSIA AND DICTATORSHIP but i bet you persons so detained can still vote..eh?

INSTEAD what we have are persons always talking about social intervention programs. SOCIAL INTERVENTIONS ALONE WILL NEVER WORK. We have tried these for decades. What is wrong with us? We need to lock up the criminals, cut off their ammunition sources and target the children with social programs/better parenting. This is the only approach that will have any permanent reduction in crime and it is really distressing to see educated persons talking about strategies which have no documentation or scientific rationale to back them up.

At some point we need to cut the dialogue. I have divine that we seem fascinated with discussions and circular arguments because they serve as a salve for the conscience making us feel we are doing something even though the discussions keep us from facing root causes of problems as facing root causes will make us look at changes which will ultimately affect the widespread unrealistic standard of life expectations many of us feel has become a right we deserve.

THE TRUTH IS NO SACRIFICE-NO GAIN; NO DISCOMFORT NO RELIEF AND NO PHYSICAL EFFORT NO MOVEMENT FORWARD.