Mea Culpa
Occupation will ensure gangs become powerless by Jason McKAY, Jamaica Observer Newspaper, Sunday, August 23, 2020
Thousands of applicants for District Constable (DC) are being ignored? What's with that? What about the JDF Reserves? I was once a member of that. Can the army (JDF) take more reserves while we set up a Reserve Police branch? Here in Canada there is a quasi military group with some former or retired police and soldiers called The Commissionaires which supports the police and army. Some work full-time and some are part-time casual workers. They are civilians and are rarely armed. They wear uniforms and take over basic police functions such as Station Guards, office functions, serving summons (witnesses and non-violent accused summons) criminal record checks, guarding prisoners, crime scene security, security for Parliament, security for the Prime Minister under the RCMPs Protective Branch, guarding the Governor General, etc. Some of these Commissionaires even do traffic and parking enforcement. Under the supervision of the Canadian Forces Military Police, they also guard military bases, offices and branches. They make more police and soldiers available for policing and soldiering. The Commissionaires can even go overseas with the Canadian military when they are on overseas campaigns. For years, I have decried the corruption and inefficiencies of our army and police force. The available police and military manpower is being wasted in many areas. Trained officers and soldiers sitting around doing basic security guard or office duties is a waste of manpower. The police and soldiers doing such duties get demoralized as the work is too routine and boring and it is not what they were trained for. Commissioners come and Commissioners go but little changes. It seems we made a mistake in disbanding the Special Constabulary Force. I still see Jamaican police and soldiers standing and sitting around doing duties such as at those health checkpoints when all is needed is a squad of trained armed DCs under the supervision of one armed police officer or soldier who have radio communication with the army and police control room. I have been a supporter of 'community policing' and 'social intervention' but after reading this, I now admit publicly that I was wrong. Mea Culpa. I am not wrong about the need for these interventions but I am wrong about thinking that this is something we can do now. As Mr. McKay says, wi bruk. These interventions need a safe space for a long time for them to make the necessary societal change. Therefore, in the interim, we will have to use the strategies suggested by Mr. McKay as they can be done immediately at little or no cost. Vastly enlarge the JDF Reserves. Massively increase the DC force. Begin a phased transition of using trained, uniformed civilians for forensics and other non combat duties so that we will have the manpower to occupy the gang areas. All such civilians should be sworn in as DCs giving them firearm training and powers of arrest. We also need to make some legislative and constitutional changes that Mr. Mckay mentioned to give our police more tools to fight crime. Part of the problem is the police and the Police Federation itself. Increases in civilianization and in the auxiliaries is perceived as a threat by the regular force. They think their share of the 'crime pie' will get smaller. To overcome this, we would have to pay the regular force 'combat pay' so that they know they are still top dog. The army is more obedient and will do as they are told.
Mr. McKay has some excellent ideas to fight crime. With government and opposition support, they could be implemented. We are looking for a new Police Commissioner in a year and I know Mr. McKay does not want that post but Dr. Chang could surely try and convince him. I think if the government committed to the changes suggested by Mr. McKay, maybe he would consider the post of Commissioner of Police? Either way, make the changes.
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