State of Emergency strategies are not helping with rising crime in Jamaica, so now what?

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

Home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides; these are the violent crimes that are reportedly occurring in Jamaica. While the world has been focused on COVID-19, there are some serious issues escalating on this beautiful island, and there are a group of people who are not happy with how the current government is dealing with this increasing level of crime.

I received a letter on November 16^th, 2021 from Joseph L. Patterson, President
 at the United Independents’ Congress of Jamaica. The letter was to inform me about the use of State of Emergency (SOE) to fight crime in Jamaica. According to Joseph, Prime Minister Holness is using a very blunt instrument to solve a specific problem. He is using what is called ‘The Iron Fist’ method. The problem with SOE’s is that they are causing collateral damage; people’s rights are being violated (pepper spray, brutality, detentions of the innocent).

The Prime Minister and Commissioner claim that the police are ‘trained’ to respect people’s rights, yet there are numerous instances where the police have done the complete opposite. The most recent example was the treatment meted out to the UIC President and others on September 22^nd, 2021 where peaceful protesters were treated with brute force and shown no respect.

Current events show that States of Emergency can only reduce crime for a very short period, but after the removal of the SOE’s, a spike in crime follows. The government has attempted to use this same method to manage the COVID-19 pandemic with not a single thought on how to identify the root causes and finding solutions to them while respecting Jamaican’s individual sovereignty.

Joseph strongly believes that there is no need to suspend the natural-born fundamental rights and freedoms of the Jamaican people to put an end to the epidemic of crime in Jamaica or to the current pandemic. The UIC is therefore providing an alternative solution to the ineffective states of emergency that has and is being used to combat crime in Jamaica. They have provided ten solutions that can be implemented immediately, and they are asking the Jamaican government to read these solutions and find ways to implement them in order to bring peace back to the turbulent societal climate that is being experienced in Jamaica.

• We must reopen and turn over the management and control of schools to all school boards and administrators across the country; the government must no longer directly interfere with the running of these schools, except to protect the rights of students, parents and teachers. Children have been seriously affected by their unnecessary exclusion from access to face-to-face classes. It is well known and documented that youth between the ages of twelve to nineteen are among the largest group of participants in criminal activities in our country.
• Begin the activation of the UIC’s Youth Employment Solution (YES) program to keep youth above the school age from joining criminal gangs. Under our YES program, the JDF must begin a mass recruitment drive to enroll the youth in the affected communities.  More on this can be found at https://uicjamaica.com/pages/uic-ten-point-plan.
• Introduce all of our so-called “unattached” youth into meaningful activities. These can include: farming organizations to help youth develop hydroponic and aquaponic systems to farm produce that they can earn from, and financial literacy and entrepreneurship training organizations so our youth can create their own businesses and jobs.
• Immediately put an end to the government’s use of Jamaica’s security apparatus to police mask-wearing, social distancing and occupancy numbers in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. Refocus the country’s limited security resources to help solve the decades-long crime epidemic.
• Immediately put an end to all government funded advertisements on vaccines and refocus that funding towards promoting true public health. Educate Jamaicans on the importance of organic farming and eating natural foods, which will stimulate our local economy as more Jamaicans buy local farm products.
• Immediately modify government regulations to reduce their negative effects on the people’s access to essentials.
• Move all civil court cases online and allow weekend cases to take place. Focus the judiciary on in-person trials of violent or major crimes.
• Cut gang funding from the drugs for guns trade.
• Cut gang funding from extortion and scamming.
• Gang Strike Force (GSF) – to choke off the gang manpower supply.

The UIC is asking for your help. Jamaica is in danger of becoming a dictatorship and many lives are on the line. They are asking Jamaicans on the island and in the diaspora to help them raise funds so that they can effectively contest an election and to achieve a majority Government. You can donate at https://uicjamaica.com/pages/uic-ten-point-plan.