Commentary

Good cops are out there

By GERMAINE SMITH, Staff Reporter

THIS ONE IS for the good police officers out there.

People tend to quickly jump on the bandwagon and say that police are all obnoxious rogues dressed in blue who only pressure good citizens. An entire generation of citizens it seems only see the police as barriers to their happiness, an unnecessary force that brutalises the very citizens it is employed to protect.

While I know personally of that type of cop out there, this one is not about them, this is a tribute to those who are NOT like that.

There are honourable policemen out there who fly way below the radar with the honest things they do. Do not think for one second that the streets of Jamaica are easy to police. There are situations to face out there which in our context make policing more of a fight for survival than a meaningful job.

Firstly, think of the unimaginable evil that lurks within the hearts of the people who live here.

While some of us sleep at nights, there are people out there whose every moment is spent plotting the darkest set of deeds to unleash on their own brother, sister, neighbour or even a stranger. I have come to learn that evil is real, and it is active in the thoughts and actions of some of us. There are people here who wish terrible things on others, and who often are bare-faced enough to talk about it.

Hearts of evil

Secondly, faced with these hearts of evil, the country has an accessibility to deadly guns which at best is frightening. The gun arrivals in the country seem to have better numbers than any tourist laden ship. Guns have been arriving on 'barrel flights' for years now, and though the police crack some rings, it's business as usual for others which are still fully operational.

Thirdly, people sit and watch atrocities happen to their families and friends everyday, yet they say nothing that would help build a case for the courts to prosecute. Yes, sometimes they tell, and the people who are supposed to guard the information end up using it against them, but there have been successful convictions in our time.

Now, after facing these three major factors, the good cop has the 40-plus hour work week to face. He barely gets to sleep, he faces residents who blanket him in the group of 'dutty police bwoy' and who hurl abuses everytime they drive past their corner.

This good cop however, does not let it hurt openly, he remains motivated to get rid of anyone who seems threatening to the society if even in the smallest way.

This is for the good cop out there looking for nothing but to do his tiny part to clean up the streets. If he gets even one matter solved, it is one less for the society to deal with. It means that there is a glimmer of hope yet for this gun- saturated, hedonistic, materialistic piece of rock we call home.

Next time I will flip the coin to examine the other type of cop, but this was to let the good ones know that we see the work. Though we may not heap praises as we should, stay strong.

(e-mail: germedia@yahoo.com)