.png)
Damion Gordon, Assistant Lecturer of Public Policy at the University of the West Indies, Mona, says the Parliamentary Opposition has made a fair call for Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson to get crime under control or resign.
Opposition Leader Mark Golding on Tuesday gave the Commissioner a 60-day ultimatum, noting that there needs to be accountability for poor performance.
According to Mr. Gordon, he is yet to see clear and effective strategies to address the country's crime wave.
"I've not seen anything that has happened over the last several years that indicates to me that the Commissioner is adopting or intends to adopt a new approach to crime fighting – one that is novel, one that is more innovative," he said.
Instead, he suggested the Commissioner has adopted "a failed strategy using brutality, reciprocal violence, and authoritarianism, which has never worked in Jamaica".
As a result, Mr. Gordon said there was nothing to "inspire optimism" that the country is "headed for a change and a new direction anytime soon".
Mr. Gordon was speaking Wednesday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106.
Attorney Kenyatta Powell, who was another guest on the programme, argued that while the opposition's ultimatum is fair, it could also be viewed as attacking a public servant.
"I am in complete agreement with the PNP’s position on the government's approach to crime fighting and how that approach relies heavily on the use of emergency powers for everyday crime fighting. And to the extent that the Police Commissioner seems to be quite aligned with the position of the use of emergency powers, I am one of those people who would say, yeah, we should see the back of a Police Commissioner like that. But I am not the leader of a political organisation," he contended.
"Would the same call be a strategic, emotionally intelligent political move from a political organisation like the People’s National Party? My answer to that would have to be no, because then you open yourself up to being accused of attacking the Commissioner. So what I would have done in that position is focus my fire on my political opponent," the attorney suggested.
comments powered by Disqus
All feeds
