Dear Editor,
On Sunday morning Jamaicans were greeted with the horrible news of the tragic suspected murder/suicide in the garden parish of St Ann of two young policemen. From the sketchy information provided, the two young men were out celebrating the approaching birthday of one of the victims when an argument developed between them. From reports, one pulled his service firearm and shot the other and while transporting the wounded cop to hospital the suspected shooter, a passenger in the transporting vehicle, shot himself. Both men were pronounced dead at hospital.
The reports, though sketchy, seem surreal enough and one wonders about the policing procedures applied by the other officers who had arrived at the scene and why the shooter wasn't treated as others would, as perhaps proper policing procedures would suggest, including the confiscation of his firearm.
Enters the Opposition JLP spokesman on National Security Derrick Smith, who wades into the tragedy by offering the following comment: "Sunday's murder/suicide in St Ann brings into sharp focus the temperament of police officers and their capacity to exercise restraint, both on and off the job. Even more importantly, it raises questions as to whether the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) has sufficient safeguards in place to identify members under particular stress or whose conduct has become high risk, and to take mitigating actions."
I wondered if it occurred to Minister Smith that in the first instance two young men had lost their lives, and that somewhere in the parish the families, friends and other work colleagues would be left desolate by this tragedy. Where is the humanity and the empathy that one who operates at the national leadership level should be offering at this very sad time? There is a time and place for everything and this was neither the time nor the place to attempt to flay our police force with intemperate remarks.
There is an adage that says, "One swallow doth not a summer make", and Smith's remarks attempted to posit that this tragedy has become typical of the behaviour of our policemen and women who are ticking time bombs carrying firearms. While a case could be made for raising a discussion around this issue, such remarks at that time were insensitive.
This, Minister Smith, was a time for showing empathy, expressing grief and for showing solidarity with not only the families, but the police family that, at some point, you would hope to provide leadership for if the fortunes of your political party changes. That, Sir, was a teachable moment and I believe that that you completely missed it.
Richard Hugh Blackford
Coral Springs, Florida, USA
richardhblackford@gmail.com
Missed a teachable moment, Derrick Smith
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On Sunday morning Jamaicans were greeted with the horrible news of the tragic suspected murder/suicide in the garden parish of St Ann of two young policemen. From the sketchy information provided, the two young men were out celebrating the approaching birthday of one of the victims when an argument developed between them. From reports, one pulled his service firearm and shot the other and while transporting the wounded cop to hospital the suspected shooter, a passenger in the transporting vehicle, shot himself. Both men were pronounced dead at hospital.
The reports, though sketchy, seem surreal enough and one wonders about the policing procedures applied by the other officers who had arrived at the scene and why the shooter wasn't treated as others would, as perhaps proper policing procedures would suggest, including the confiscation of his firearm.
Enters the Opposition JLP spokesman on National Security Derrick Smith, who wades into the tragedy by offering the following comment: "Sunday's murder/suicide in St Ann brings into sharp focus the temperament of police officers and their capacity to exercise restraint, both on and off the job. Even more importantly, it raises questions as to whether the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) has sufficient safeguards in place to identify members under particular stress or whose conduct has become high risk, and to take mitigating actions."
I wondered if it occurred to Minister Smith that in the first instance two young men had lost their lives, and that somewhere in the parish the families, friends and other work colleagues would be left desolate by this tragedy. Where is the humanity and the empathy that one who operates at the national leadership level should be offering at this very sad time? There is a time and place for everything and this was neither the time nor the place to attempt to flay our police force with intemperate remarks.
There is an adage that says, "One swallow doth not a summer make", and Smith's remarks attempted to posit that this tragedy has become typical of the behaviour of our policemen and women who are ticking time bombs carrying firearms. While a case could be made for raising a discussion around this issue, such remarks at that time were insensitive.
This, Minister Smith, was a time for showing empathy, expressing grief and for showing solidarity with not only the families, but the police family that, at some point, you would hope to provide leadership for if the fortunes of your political party changes. That, Sir, was a teachable moment and I believe that that you completely missed it.
Richard Hugh Blackford
Coral Springs, Florida, USA
richardhblackford@gmail.com
Missed a teachable moment, Derrick Smith
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