Dear Editor,
The monster that crime represents for Jamaica is painfully evidenced in the efforts, simple to Herculean, that businesses, residents and visitors alike employ to secure life and property.
Our reality is one of criminal activity being part of the fabric of our society. And while most Jamaicans will admit to having a planned interface with crime prevention through private security arrangements, much fewer would unreservedly confess to awareness of simple strategies that impact the national effort.
It is therefore commendable to note recent media postings where at least two activities -- streetside sale of CDs and illegal cable connections -- were highlighted as sources of funding for gang-type criminal activity which accounts for the majority of serious crimes facing the country.
Publicly sharing this information is valuable in so much as it allows the average Jamaican consumer to recognise the financial contribution that seemingly innocent and legitimate business transactions can make to those most responsible for the alarming state of criminality impacting Jamaica.
Undoubtedly the immediate benefit of obtaining an asset or service 'cheap cheap' will not dissuade some from distancing themselves from questionable suppliers, but the greater values lie in firstly getting the message out, that seemingly innocent transactions can engender dire consequences, and the subsequent buy-in that even baby steps by each citizen can help to tackle crime. In fact, it's probably better said that by not doing something (which is much safer than the opposite) every person can help to undermine criminal gangs.
The much-craved crime prevention alliance of the police and citizens could benefit from the dissemination by the authorities of similar business transactions and other activities which each of us can bypass and thereby effectively play a role in undermining criminality.
This innocuous approach to crime control, with its wide subscription potential and simplicity of performance, is palatable and should be encouraged. Let's arm the citizenry with simple strategies and reap the benefits.
Sophia Ramlal, JP
irievet@yahoo.com
Teach citizens how to combat crime
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The monster that crime represents for Jamaica is painfully evidenced in the efforts, simple to Herculean, that businesses, residents and visitors alike employ to secure life and property.
Our reality is one of criminal activity being part of the fabric of our society. And while most Jamaicans will admit to having a planned interface with crime prevention through private security arrangements, much fewer would unreservedly confess to awareness of simple strategies that impact the national effort.
It is therefore commendable to note recent media postings where at least two activities -- streetside sale of CDs and illegal cable connections -- were highlighted as sources of funding for gang-type criminal activity which accounts for the majority of serious crimes facing the country.
Publicly sharing this information is valuable in so much as it allows the average Jamaican consumer to recognise the financial contribution that seemingly innocent and legitimate business transactions can make to those most responsible for the alarming state of criminality impacting Jamaica.
Undoubtedly the immediate benefit of obtaining an asset or service 'cheap cheap' will not dissuade some from distancing themselves from questionable suppliers, but the greater values lie in firstly getting the message out, that seemingly innocent transactions can engender dire consequences, and the subsequent buy-in that even baby steps by each citizen can help to tackle crime. In fact, it's probably better said that by not doing something (which is much safer than the opposite) every person can help to undermine criminal gangs.
The much-craved crime prevention alliance of the police and citizens could benefit from the dissemination by the authorities of similar business transactions and other activities which each of us can bypass and thereby effectively play a role in undermining criminality.
This innocuous approach to crime control, with its wide subscription potential and simplicity of performance, is palatable and should be encouraged. Let's arm the citizenry with simple strategies and reap the benefits.
Sophia Ramlal, JP
irievet@yahoo.com
Teach citizens how to combat crime
-->