Jamaica's tipping point

THE EDITOR, Sir:

Malcolm Gladwell is the best-selling author of the book The Tipping Point. He is also of Jamaican parentage and would certainly be available to explain to us the tipping point phenomenon. I am writing this in order to encourage the Greg Christies, Trevor Munroes and Danville Walkers of our nation to press on as the tipping point could very well be near.

Malcolm explains how serious crime in New York City was in the region of 626,000 in 1992, with 2,154 murders. In the '80s and early '90s, the poor New York City neighbourhoods of Brownsville and East New York would turn into ghost towns as soon as dusk approached.

This reminds me somewhat of downtown Kingston and neighbourhoods along Spanish Town Road. There are still communities in Spanish Town and May Pen where workers are not able to make the start of the 6 a.m. shift because it may be unsafe.

At some mysterious and critical point, according to Gladwell, the crime rate in New York City began to turn. Within five years, murders dropped 64.3 per cent and serious crimes fell by half. This allowed the East New York neighbourhoods to come to life again, even after dark. There are all kinds of theories bandied about as to what caused the change.

The police claimed it was their strategies, the criminologists argued it was the decline in the crack trade, while economists claimed it was the improvement in the city's economy.

So, patriots of Jamaica, do not give up, as transformation is not linear. It is exponential once the proper combustibles are combined. Let us strive to get to the tipping point.

I am, etc.,

ROGER BLAIR

blairwade1@yahoo.com

Kingston 10