Heartened By Rose Heights Example

I recently read an article in the Jamaica Gleaner about a community finally fighting back by taking a zero-tolerance approach to gunmen in their midst. Rose Heights Community Group Apprehends Gunman is a clear indication that Jamaicans on the island are finally getting fed up of living in fear and starting to stand up to lawlessness. The fact that a mother had no problem turning in her son should not be lost on anyone because it is well-known that people seem to not be willing to turn in their own family-members or boyfriends.

People looking at Jamaica from the outside certainly wonder what was really being done about crime because the murders continue to climb. The PNP were able to do little, even with their imported police officers and the JLP promised a solution in 12 months that has clearly not materialized. For years the police have been saying that without the help of the community, they cannot reduce the crime rate and this is a great example of the community stepping up to the plate instead of blaming the police or the politicians.

One comment I recently read online said that the gunmen were not aliens that come and do their dirty deeds than take off again, they go back to homes in communities and no one says anything. That culture has helped fueled the problems we have today and it must change. At the same time, the documented corruption within the police force and lack of public trust would certainly hamper attempts to copy the Rose Heights efforts in many other communities.

What is so different about Rose Heights that the residents trust the police? What is so different about the attitude of these residents and how did they change?

Answer these questions and we now have a model to expand on in other communities.
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David Mullings