POLICE COMMISSIONER Lucius Thomas thinks that relocating residents from downtown, Kingston will help in fighting crime. The Police Commissioner made this statement in yesterday's lead story in The Gleaner.
The story goes on to say that a relocation exercise was carried out in St. James which saw a 50 per cent decrease in the number of murders. This worked out be 10 less in June than May.
The problem with this statement is that it suggests that one squatter community was responsible for more than half of the crimes in St. James and relocating them was an answer from heaven.
The Commissioner's proposal sounds all good and academic. It makes perfect sense. Move the people out of the environment and hope they adapt to the new one. But, while humans are dynamic and can adjust to any situation, biologists say animals don't get up one day and say, "hmm, there's more food to the east, let's relocate."
This point certainly reinforces the Jamaican saying, "a bhutto in a Benz is still a bhutto."
The point is simple. It is not the area that breeds crime and violence, it's all the other factors that affect the people. If relocating and redevelopment are synonymous with providing jobs, a productive environment and no prejudice, then great.
If not, think again Commissioner.
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