Jamaica was born out of probably the most heinous crime against humanity known to mankind — TransAtlantic slavery. Our forebears were unfortunately socialized and marinated in a criminal environment.
Jamaica was among the most violent of all the so-called slave colonies under the British. This was largely because the Africans who were brought here were most resistant to living under this life of absolute cruelty and oppression. They would set on fire great houses and plantations almost monthly, making life for the oppressive planters, hell.
Let us be clear, these African men and women fought like hell for their freedom. It was never handed to them by the British. Once these constant rebellions made sugar uneconomical, it was a no-brainer to let Jamaica loose. It was always about economics. Never about caring for humanity.
The largely ignorant and unprepared population was, in 1962, faced with going into independence with either a rabble-rousing yet charismatic trade union leader Alexander Bustamante or a highly educated distinguished lawyer named Norman Manley. The people chose Bustamante who had little vision for the country but all the political ambition in the world. To say that Jamaica had a poor start to nationhood is a major understatement. And the thoughtless partisans will say ‘Oh, but the 1960s were economically buoyant in Jamaica’. To that, I will ask FOR WHO?
The immediate post-independence period should have been devoted to educating, civilizing, and preparing the population for good, responsible citizenship. We missed that critical boat and have been playing catch up ever since.
The current coarse sensibilities and crude behaviours of too many of our people are direct outcomes of sloppy national leadership over many decades. The number one job of a leader is to shape the culture. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a small or large organization, a church, a club, or a nation. Unfortunately, people do (and accept as okay) what leadership does. Too many of our national leaders still believe that culture means “jump up, dance and sing”. It refers to the way we do things!
The lawlessness that is now prevalent all around us should surprise no keen observer of our development or lack thereof over the decades. It’s easy to blame the police. They are the ones on the frontline. Unfortunately, they are only responders after the fact. Crime and criminality are everyone’s responsibility. The mother and sister and brother and others who benefit from it and depend on its act to put food on their tables; the community member who knows and protects the criminals; they all have a role to play in addressing this scourge.
The crime and corruption situation in Jamaica is at an all-time high, despite what the authorities claim. To be sure, we have always had criminals and corrupt people walking the corridors of power and leaders who have enabled them. That is not new. It is the first time in my lifetime that I have seen so much total disregard for the laws of the land, coming from the highest offices of public trust in the country.
It is leaders who shape culture. When leaders openly undermine the law and established structures of the society, the general population takes it as the new norm. No serious society can thrive and develop in an environment of lawlessness and indiscipline. Our all-pervasive culture of indiscipline and lawlessness comes from the top. Politicians throughout the years have proven totally incapable of getting to the bottom of this scourge on society, partly because so many of them are conflicted and seriously compromised, and partly because they lack the vision and will to do the right things.
We must find a way to remove the link between the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the political directorate. The constabulary force needs revolutionary overhaul while we divorce its direct dependence on, and links to politicians, certainly when it comes to administration. We simply cannot depend on our politicians to address crime. Some serious independent body with no political links must have final responsibility for the administration of policing across the country.
We must completely revolutionize the constabulary. Shut down the current constabulary force which was originally designed to protect the planter class and oppress and brutalise the black slaves. Nothing short of a brand-new law enforcement entity, relevant to our needs in 2026 and beyond will be acceptable.
The Government must redesign and establish a 2026 police entity with a fresh culture of service, community and serious accountability to the communities they serve. A new culture of accountability, decency and honesty that must percolate through the society. It all starts at the top. Dishonesty, bad behaviour and indiscipline must never be tolerated among leadership.
For 63 years we’ve been prayerfully singing in our National Anthem, “Justice, truth be ours forever”. Isn’t it time we enjoy a system of justice that is truly blind to whether you are rich, poor or connected? Until this is our reality, I am afraid Jamaica will continue along this freefall that has characterized our journey for far too long.
