Dear Editor,
It now appears, based on the many confident pronouncements made from both inside and outside of Jamaica, that the Jamaican economy is on the mend. The fact that we have been passing the various International Monetary Fund (IMF) tests there is renewed confidence in the Jamaican economy; and that, in itself, should make us proud and hopeful for investments that can spur the required growth.
The Government should therefore be congratulated, especially our Minister of Finance Peter Phillips, for sticking to the course and for achieving what could only have been done through great thought, hard work, and courage; qualities, regrettably, that are not always present in our politicians, especially when the going gets tough.
We have demonstrated to the world that we have the discipline and intelligence to solve what we had been told was an economy that was practically dying, if not already dead. And we have done so when other countries, like Greece, for instance, have failed and are literally clinging to the edge of the cliff for mere survival.
Now, if we have been capable of doing this, what is it about our ability to solve the crime problem that has eluded us? There is no doubt that there is an upsurge in crime once again that has many Jamaicans finding it difficult to feel secure within the country. No doubt this situation could also serve to deter investments in our country. So why haven't we been able to do something about it? We have the intelligence and guts to tackle and solve problems; one therefore wonders whether we only apply our brains and diligence when forced to do so from outside. The IMF imposes conditions and we comply with great efficiency. Is that what our crime problem requires in order to be solved?
Let us understand that the primary role of a Government in a democracy is to maintain law and order. Could it be that whenever there is an upsurge or outcry about the levels of crime, our leaders have simply applied the quick fix or short-term measures without fully appreciating they are just that, driven by desperation? Whenever the danger subsides, we simply lapse into a state of complacency and trot out numbers to show decline in murders or other crimes, and pat ourselves on the back.
If we can't make the National Security Council (NSC) effective, why not establish an oversight committee for crime similar to that done for our economy? We certainly have the likes of Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, a former commissioner of police, former deputy commissioner of police Mark Shields, and several other prominent Jamaicans who possess the requisite knowledge of crime in Jamaica and could form the nucleus of our quest to effectively deal with our crime problem.
Colonel Allan Douglas
Kingston 10
alldouglas@aol.com
IMF-ise the crime problem
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It now appears, based on the many confident pronouncements made from both inside and outside of Jamaica, that the Jamaican economy is on the mend. The fact that we have been passing the various International Monetary Fund (IMF) tests there is renewed confidence in the Jamaican economy; and that, in itself, should make us proud and hopeful for investments that can spur the required growth.
The Government should therefore be congratulated, especially our Minister of Finance Peter Phillips, for sticking to the course and for achieving what could only have been done through great thought, hard work, and courage; qualities, regrettably, that are not always present in our politicians, especially when the going gets tough.
We have demonstrated to the world that we have the discipline and intelligence to solve what we had been told was an economy that was practically dying, if not already dead. And we have done so when other countries, like Greece, for instance, have failed and are literally clinging to the edge of the cliff for mere survival.
Now, if we have been capable of doing this, what is it about our ability to solve the crime problem that has eluded us? There is no doubt that there is an upsurge in crime once again that has many Jamaicans finding it difficult to feel secure within the country. No doubt this situation could also serve to deter investments in our country. So why haven't we been able to do something about it? We have the intelligence and guts to tackle and solve problems; one therefore wonders whether we only apply our brains and diligence when forced to do so from outside. The IMF imposes conditions and we comply with great efficiency. Is that what our crime problem requires in order to be solved?
Let us understand that the primary role of a Government in a democracy is to maintain law and order. Could it be that whenever there is an upsurge or outcry about the levels of crime, our leaders have simply applied the quick fix or short-term measures without fully appreciating they are just that, driven by desperation? Whenever the danger subsides, we simply lapse into a state of complacency and trot out numbers to show decline in murders or other crimes, and pat ourselves on the back.
If we can't make the National Security Council (NSC) effective, why not establish an oversight committee for crime similar to that done for our economy? We certainly have the likes of Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, a former commissioner of police, former deputy commissioner of police Mark Shields, and several other prominent Jamaicans who possess the requisite knowledge of crime in Jamaica and could form the nucleus of our quest to effectively deal with our crime problem.
Colonel Allan Douglas
Kingston 10
alldouglas@aol.com
IMF-ise the crime problem
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