Letter to the Editor
A Jamaican policeman recently killed a young pregnant woman whom he had arrested for using indecent language. The raft of anti-crime legislation forced on the unsuspecting Cayman public saw quantum increases in penalties for public misbehaviour. This platform has been accompanied by a demand for strict observance by the RCIPS leadership for frontline officers denied the common sense use of their on scene discretion lest they end up before the yet to be established Police Complaints Authority. The Caribbean culture of public but reasonable celebration is being subsumed by one that favours regular pub attendance to watch soccer or quiet fireside chats.
The Commissioner of Police built his resume on going into minority communities in the UK and finding appropriate policing solutions. It is a waste of time to ignore such expertise to pursue the knee jerk legislation pioneered by those who come from a history of violent confrontation between the police and the public.
Perhaps there can be a re-think and review of the past few years to discover the real effects of strict policing and severe penalties. The way forward may well be a return to the old style and local community policeman who intervened and used his discretion to prevent ants from becoming ant hills.
Peter Polack
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