Building a Better Jamaica

BALFORD HENRY, Observer writer balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, June 18, 2008

PRIME Minister Bruce Golding says communities where the security forces had lost control to criminal gangs will have to be retaken in the current anti-crime fight.

"There are communities where there are others who are in control, and the security forces are going to have to take back control, and demonstrate that they have that control," Golding told Parliament in a 'surprise contribution' to the current sectoral debate.

The prime minister said that this initiative will be part of the "hard policing" efforts which are being introduced in a stepped up effort to counter the crime and violence which have cost over 700 lives already this year.

"We are not making any apology for that. It is going to be tough, hard policing," he said.

"With hard policing we are going to have to assert the rule of law and the duty of the state to maintain law and order," he added.

However, Golding said that in carrying out their duties the police will have to respect and uphold the rights of the public and ensure that they protect and reassure law-abiding citizens.

He said that in pursuit of these objectives, the security forces have undertaken a number of initiatives. These include: targeting major gangs; arresting and detaining gang leaders; special focus on hotspots; physical occupation of dangerous spaces; increased use of cordon and search tactics; more spot checks; greater use of curfews for concentrated operations; increased mobile patrols; high visibility to restore confidence to communities; intensifying community policing; speedier and more effective responses to emergency calls; and improved communications with vulnerable institutions like schools and hospitals.

He also promised stricter enforcement of laws relating to minor offences to create an environment of "order and discipline".

In addition, Golding said that the recently resumed Vale Royal discussions between the Government and the Opposition have led to the appointment of a bipartisan committee to look at several proposals for stricter law enforcement. He did not name the committee members.

The proposals before the committee include the extension of the period of detention without charge for persons held on suspected murder and gun- related charges, as well as restrictions of bail in relation to specified charges; minimum sentences; majority verdicts for non-capital offences; more expeditious authorisation of the interception of communications; access to restricted information held by statutory agencies; removal of the right to silence in specified cases; removal of juvenile immunity in cases involving illegal possession of firearms and use of guns and ammunition; mandatory requirement to produce driver's licences; and new proposals to require national identification to purchase cellular phones as well as to amend the Fingerprint Act to enable DNA samples from mouth swabs and DNA database.