Jamaica’s crime problems have been ongoing for a long time, and stretches across successive administrations without abate. It is caused by the same factors that cause crime all over the world. This is fuelled by the easy access to firearms, financial gains, persons not experiencing the full consequences of their actions when they are caught, and yes, poverty. It must be noted however, that poverty of its own does not cause crime.
Jamaica’s crime problems are not unique and can be fixed using basic understanding, applying our laws effectively and a lot of political will. We don’t need anyone from foreign to fix it for us, if we put our minds to it; we are quite capable of fixing our crime problems. We don’t even need more police.
If we implement the right laws and apply them, people will be able to sleep with their doors open and not be fearful because they know they are safe. The truth is, this is not impossible to achieve, difficult yes, but not impossible. I vividly remember when my mother like all the other adults in our yard went down town leaving their doors open, and even at nights, persons never worry about locking doors with a key going to bed, some only lock their doors because they were afraid of duppy (ghost).
Yes, that was a time when it took a village or community to grow a child. If any unauthorized person tried to enter one of those open doors you would hear the voice of an adult shout; “Calvin why yu going in Miss Brown’s house? A gwine tell har when she come.” And, he or she did just that. It was not informing; it was looking out for each other.
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Eliza Mays
Inside info on how to fix Jamaica’s crime problems