Fighting crime the 'Yardie' way
June 04, 2006
LIKE THE rebound of the West Indies cricket team, the fight against organised crime is beginning to pay real dividends.
The number of murders so far this year is significantly less than last year.
The amount of cocaine passing through Jamaica has reportedly decreased significantly.
Many front-line crime bosses are no longer in circulation, to put it delicately, and 'Zekes' will not be around for at least 30 years.
What this encouraging report is saying is that the police methods now being used, with the guidance of senior Scotland Yard officers or 'yardies', are paying off. These methods are assisting Commissioner of Police Lucius Thomas to prove himself to be the best commissioner since crime became a major issue three decades or more ago.
There is a new sense of professionalism emerging in the officer ranks of the police force aided by the culture of correctness introduced by Scotland Yard. Given time and persistence, the possibility could exist for rebuilding and reshaping the force into a truly professional body, that is, unless this image is once again disgraced.
RENETO ADAMS' FUTURE
Against this background of success, with promise of more to come, it is important that the decision on the future of Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams be decided in a manner that will safeguard the force from any further Rambo-style policing by him. Not only the police force, but the people need to be protected from the Adams-type policing because it has not worked in the past in reducing the level of murders, nor extortion, and never will. The record of past years testifies to this.
If Adams is to remain in the police force, he should be safely secured behind a desk, not let loose on society. If not behind a desk, let him train the police dogs who share his temperament.
Too much bitterness and division, blood and death, has been the product of state terrorism. As one of the bitterest critics of brutality by the security forces, I am happy to see the dawn of a new day when the fight against crime can be a co-operative venture with the people. To encourage this, people and police must be on the same side.
This has not been the historic record. It has become almost a daily routine for the media to carry stories of police atrocities. This can end if the new image of correctness and professionalism is polished further so that policemen and women in the ranks become impressed and enthused by the new acceptance they find as protectors, not persecutors.
ENFORCEMENT...
Author: Edward Seaga
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
