‘You have our support’, diaspora tells Police Commissioner Anderson
Published:Thursday | March 22, 2018 | 12:00 AMPaul Clarke/Gleaner Writer
Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson is being urged by members of the Diaspora to stand up and be the difference in the fight against crime and violence that has claimed over 300 lives since the start of the year.
"It is a huge job, monumental in scope for any head of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), but we stand resolute, as Jamaicans in the Diaspora, in urging the commissioner to be that difference maker," said Akelia Lawrence-Maitland, Jamaican immigration consultant and North East US Diaspora Advisory Board member.
"Anyone sitting in that capacity has a monumental task ahead, and we recognise that the business of crime fighting is not a one-man show or for the JCF alone," she said.
Lawrence-Maitland said that the country's murder rate continued to dominate discourse among members of the Diaspora and the hope is that the new police commissioner - given his military background - will be able through strong, innovative policy to instill the culture to combat disorder and crime in ways that will deliver real change.
In addition, Lawrence-Maitland stated that the Diaspora is willing to support the efforts of the new commissioner and the JCF in any way possible.
"We overwhelmingly support the new commissioner of police. Our Diaspora community remains congratulatory towards Commissioner Antony Anderson with a commitment to support the police commissioner in whatever way we can," she said.
"We have a certain responsibility here in the Jamaican Diaspora because in some cases, the Diaspora reflects intimately the transnational nature of crime. We, therefore, hope that the Diaspora is deeply integrated in whatever plans Commissioner Anderson and his team develop."
Statistics from the JCF communication arm, the Constabulary Communications Unit, show that there have been 302 murders across Jamaica up to Monday, March 19.