Let’s get that anti-gang law passed

Thursday, January 19, 2012

FROM what we have observed so far, Police Commissioner Owen Ellington is not a man given to trivial pronouncements. So, when Mr Ellington speaks we listen, because we have come to appreciate that he does so from a position of authority and detailed knowledge.

Yesterday, Commissioner Ellington reminded us that gangs are still plying their trade of death in communities throughout the country and are responsible for the frightening spike in murders since the start of this year. Thankfully though, Commissioner Ellington and his team have responded to this upsurge in murders in a manner which has prevented the problem from spiralling out of control.

However, though the measures put in place by the constabulary to counter the gangs appear to be having some effect, there is obvious need for stronger legislative support. In that regard, we would urge our lawmakers to give swift attention to the long discussed anti-gang legislation in this parliamentary session.

We recall that Mr Andrew Holness, when he was sworn in as prime minister in October last year, said that the "anti-gang legislation to address the threat of organised crime" would be brought to Parliament very soon.

A month before that, former National Security Minister Dwight Nelson assured the Police Federation's 67th annual joint central conference in St Ann that the anti-gang legislation was before the Cabinet and was scheduled for discussion.

We accept that the December 29 parliamentary elections would have placed a hold on these discussions. However, with the political atmosphere now settled, we believe that our parliamentarians should ensure that this bill does not languish in the House, as is the fate of too many other important pieces of legislation.

For it is clear that the police need as much help as they can get to effectively deal with the terrorists who are bent on spreading mayhem at will.

We would also urge Jamaicans to regard the constabulary's unrelenting efforts to disrupt and destroy gang activities as being in the best interest of the country. Criminal gang activities endanger the well-being of all of us and are detrimental to investment which is required to provide new jobs for law-abiding and industrious citizens.

Therefore, as we have pointed out in this space before, Jamaicans should not shy away from providing the security forces with information about criminals and their activities because that kind of co-operation is critical to the social stability of any society.

The new Portia Simpson Miller administration, through its security minister Mr Peter Bunting, has already declared its intention to send "a strong message to hoodlums who seem intent on disrupting and destroying lives" and to respond decisively to any increase in criminality.

A significant element of that response, we suggest, is to push hard to have the anti-gang legislation debated, fine-tuned, passed and implemented. Of course, we expect that the police will, in their operations, abide by the provisions of the bill when it becomes law and not give those who will object any reason to say "We told you so".

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Let’s get that anti-gang law passed