Murder is not the Litmus Test

I'm not surprised we have delved into a public discussion about the performance of the Minister of National Security and the Commissioner of Police based on a loosely worded poll.

For many Jamaicans, and understandably so, the metric that they use to determine the effectiveness of either post holder is the number of murders, which in and of itself is an unfair metric since its neither a single function of policy nor force operations. 

The responsibility of the National Security Minister is to provide policy direction for the ministry and its portfolio agencies, including JCF, DCS, PICA, MOCA, etc. So now that we understand the job description, we can assess his performance. 

In his 22/23 budget presentation, he outlined that the focus of his 4-5 year tenure so far as Minister has been on citizens' security and the following:

1. Law enforcement capacity

2. Investment in Technology

3. Investment in physical infrastructure

4. Investment in mobility 

5. Recruitment and Training

6. Improving Public Trust and Confidence

7. Adoption of International Standards

So with a stated approach of capacitating the ministry, security, and improving technology as well as the legislative framework to prosecute offenses... 

I would exactly call him a failure...

The Commissioner of Police is in charge of all police activities, from administration to operations. As essentially the CEO of the police force, he oversees the JCFs operation with established Deputies and Assistant Commissioners. 

In the 2021-2022 Commissioner's report, the stated strategic focus is a 3-pronged approach.

1. Law Enforcement 

Division-Specific Policing Plans  

• Enhanced Security Measures  

• Anti-Gang Strategy  

• Strengthened Investigative Capability  

• Improving Traffic Management 

• Expansion of the Quick Response Teams  

• Community Intervention    

    - Strengthening Our Response to Domestic Violence 

    - Expansion of the School Resource Officer Programme      

 • Strengthened Collaborations with MOCA, FID, JDF, PICA, and JCA

2. Force transformation

People, Structure, Infrastructure, Equipment, and Technology

3. Stakeholder engagement ( we have all seen the improved social media campaign)

But let's get serious again and not sound like paid representative murders are a problem we need solutions, but in the meantime, it is still unfair to tie our societal misgivings to their performance. 

This list shows murders by Security Minister. Political actors often trade comparisons from this list and politicize crime and violence using murders. And that action needs to stop or we will never solve the issue if we continue to trade political bullets.

I wouldn't give either man a failing grade, but no A's for effort either. If we are really going to evaluate performance, we need fair metrics because if we use murders, every single man who has held the job fails. 

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