Finally there has been a focused attempt to concentrate on crime in western Jamaica. A front page story in the Thursday Gleaner reported that 52 persons have been killed in Montego Bay since the start of the year.

According to the story, the Government will be reviewing and strengthening a number of existing measures to fight this upsurge in murders.

A key part of the plan involves the review of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. This is a critical part of the fight. Many police officers are being killed, attacked, and caught in corruption and so many Jamaicans do not trust the force to protect them, nor do they want to join the force even though some citizens are quite capable and qualified for the job.

The level of discipline in the force certainly needs review and officers need to learn that their integrity is one of the most important tools and the minute they compromise this, is when they begin to fail at their job.

They cannot get people to trust them if they are involved in shady things. At the same time a key part of the problem in the west is the refusal of citizens there to speak out. Crimes have occurred, yet people shut up about what they have seen or heard and continue to suffer.

Jamaica needs to wake up. Crime fighting is not a police and soldier thing. It is a Jamaican thing. We need to enforce our moral and social standards and stop rewarding illegal acts and shutting up about them. It is time for everyone to speak out against the injustice and handover the criminals to the law.