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Granted, it is frustrating to keep writing and commenting on the same topic. However, when a problem is as serious as the ongoing wave of violent crime in Jamaica, it is our responsibility to revisit it.
It is no secret that the Jamaican diaspora is extremely concerned about the high incidence of violent crime in Jamaica, and in particular the apparent inability of the current government and law enforcement to control it. This culminated in a mass shooting in the Four Paths neighborhood of Clarendon on Sunday night. On that fateful night, a group of gunmen armed with high-powered rifles targeted a community bingo party that was attended by men, women and children. When the shooting was over, eight people were dead, including a seven-year-old child and several women, and others were injured.
This marks a new chapter in the tragedy for Jamaica. While there are frequent reports of deaths in drive-by shootings, there has never been a shooting on this scale by criminals before. Ironically, these violent murders occurred at a time when Jamaican police press releases claimed that murders were down this year. However, the frequent media coverage of violent gun crime in Jamaica casts doubt on the validity of these claims.
In response to the Clarendon mass shooting, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness predictably condemned the shooting. He also suggested that the shooting was organized by criminals outside of Jamaica in collaboration with inmates currently in Jamaican prisons. This raises a key question: If the Prime Minister and Jamaican law enforcement authorities knew that foreign and local collaboration was orchestrating a major crime in Jamaica, why were no proactive steps taken to stop it and protect Jamaican citizens?
Jamaica’s government and law enforcement have taken few proactive measures to curb violent crime. Reactive measures, especially verbal protests from government officials, are more common, while criminals continue to commit gun violence across the country.
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On Monday morning, Holness announced the convening of a meeting of Jamaica’s National Security Council to discuss the Clarendon mass shooting. It was hoped that the meeting would lead to immediate and strong measures to find the perpetrators and prevent further gun violence. However, the meeting instead announced that a curfew would be imposed in the area where the mass shooting occurred and other areas of Clarendon. Clarendon, St. Catherine, Hanover, St. James and Westmoreland parishes have been the scene of violent shootings in recent months, and curfews and states of emergency in these parishes and other places have not been effective.
The Prime Minister also said that the government and law enforcement agencies are aware of the violent activities of various gangs on the island and will take strong action to curb these activities. These gangs, as well as other gangs that have been formed recently, are rampant across the country. The question remains: Why didn’t they start fighting these gangs sooner?
There are serious problems with the current government’s efforts to curb violent crime. The vast majority of Jamaicans are dissatisfied with these efforts. This dissatisfaction is evident from the numerous responses on social media to the mass shooting in Clarendon. Many suggestions have been made to quell gun violence, including a nationwide gun ban, reinstating the death penalty for murderers, and stricter controls on Jamaican ports to stop illegal gun imports. But why are so many Jamaicans venting their frustrations and making suggestions on social media? Why aren’t Jamaicans organizing massive protests across the country to protest the government’s inability to control violent crime?
Jamaica needs a bold, fearless leader who is not concerned about potential political backlash and is willing to lead a fierce fight against violent gangs and other criminals. This leader must root out corruption that allegedly exists in the penal system, where incarcerated criminals plot revenge against rival gangs and enemies, take strong measures to stop the importation of guns into Jamaica, eliminate corruption in public places and among public officials, combat the trade and use of drugs such as cocaine, and build a strong and effective law enforcement force under strong, fearless leadership. Only under such uncompromising leadership can there be a real effort to liberate Jamaica from the shackles of violent crime.
In the meantime, we can only hope that there are some members of the country’s law enforcement forces who are brave, committed and determined to identify and remove those criminals who seek to harm Jamaican lives and the reputation of Jamaica.
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