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Steve Lyston | Let’s reform national security

Published:Monday | May 20, 2019 | 12:00 AM
Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson (left) listens as Minister Of National Security Dr Horace Chang makes a point during the commissioner’s first press conference, held at the commissioner’s office on May 10. Many critics of the Constabulary Force have called for its reformation.

Everything is connected to the security of our nation and her people, including: the economy, family, Church, education, business, politics and media. Whenever crime, violence and turmoil take place, we must begin to look at the gates and the gatekeepers within our nation. If the gates are torn down, then we have the wrong gate­keepers. Unless you rebuild the gates, regardless of what reforms take place in the nation, we will go back to square one, because the wrong gatekeepers will let in the wrong people.

If, for instance, the media are the gatekeepers, watchdogs and scorekeepers, they shape public opinion and have a significant impact on societal viewpoints. If they are infiltrated, then what will their influence be on the society?

In the Church, the priests are supposed to be the gatekeepers of the society at the spiritual level. If that gate breaks down and the wrong people become part of, or influence the priesthood, then what will happen to the morals of the society? Because the priest will begin to call those things which are unclean, clean.

If the wrong people become politicians, then they will permit the wrong people to the judicial system, and to other important areas of leadership and governance, resulting in the wrong people being appointed as advisers to the nation. Furthermore, the nation’s values and attitudes will be negatively affected. Therefore, instead of wholeness, you will have wellness and everything would have ‘alternative’ attached to it, including lifestyle. There will be gender confusion and things will go awry.

Reform the JCF

There are many criticisms of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), including calls for its reformation. However, if we are going to deal with the reformation of the JCF, then the principle that governs our Constitution and national security will also need to be reformed. Otherwise, regardless of what name changes take place, or shutting down of units, things will remain the same.

Therefore, the mission, mandate and vision must change. Look at the system rather than the people. See whether or not the purpose for which it was birthed is still relevant today. For example, the JCF was formed to curtail riots and rebellions. The very name says it.

Each police officer must be trained for the areas to which they are to be deployed. For example, the police personnel for the tourist areas of Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Portland must at least learn a second language; be trained in the area of customer service, and the supervisor must be trained in the area of supervisory management.

On-the-spot recruiting must take place. We need to identify potential candidates for the JCF on a daily basis in the various communities, or in high schools and colleges.

Crime plan

It is the responsibility of the member of parliament (regardless of party affiliation), the mayor and the municipal corporation to formulate, document and implement a crime plan for their parish, regardless of the political party in power. Therefore, it is not the police who should formulate a crime plan. The police are there to execute the law, protect and serve. Furthermore, the role of the minister of national security is to focus more on policies that would deal with regional and international policies that would impact air, land and sea, as well as the military.

Commanders within the police force should not be tied to a desk job. Instead they must be on the ground motivating and mobilising the members of the force, especially the younger ones.

When a policeman or policewoman is going through hardship and is not functioning as he or she would normally, they should be sent back to the training school for a refresher course. Otherwise, refresher courses should be mandatory every three years. Also, there should be a unit created at the Police Training School, where many of the long-service members of the force, with exemplary records, would become mentors. They would give the benefit of their training, skills and experience to the newer personnel.

Every police personnel up for promotion should do a leadership training course, similar to that done in the military, before they are promoted. They could also look at placing each policeman into the various communities, based on the skills/expertise they possess, in order to deal with the needs of the community more effectively.