Pall-bearers hold aloft the coffin of former national female footballer, Bernadette 'Lorraine' Mairs, as they walk past the gates of her final resting place, the Pye River Cemetery, in Montego Bay, St James, yesterday. Mairs was shot and killed in Sam Sharpe Square in Montego Bay on Wednesday, December 18, 2008. - Photo by Claudia Gardner

Prime Minister Bruce Golding has hinted that the stratospheric levels of violence in Jamaica could force him to take further drastic steps to stem crime.

Golding, speaking at a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Area Council One meeting at Kingston High School, downtown Kingston, Sunday, told party supporters that the situation was untenable.

"I am not going to go anymore into it. What I am going to say to you is that I am not satisfied that we are doing all that we can do or all that we must do to bring this crime under control," Golding, who is also the JLP leader, said.

He added: "There is more that has to be done and there are more steps that have to be taken."

Police statistics released last week showed that 1,611 people were murdered in 2008, two per cent more than the 1,583 recorded in 2007.

Five per cent reduction

Police Commissioner Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin said last week that the police were targeting a five per cent reduction in murders this year, which would mean about 80 fewer deaths.

More than 40 people have been murdered since the start of the year.

The 15-month-old JLP administration has already changed one security minister, with former police chief, Colonel Trevor MacMillan, replacing Derrick Smith.

However, public sentiment is that MacMillan has not had a great impact.

Similarly, JLP insiders have told The Gleaner that members of the party are not happy with the way MacMillan has gone about his job of national security minister.

Meetings

Golding's Cabinet had two consecutive days of meetings last week. The party's standing committee also had an extensive meeting on Saturday as both the Government and the party attempt to get a handle on turbulent economic times and rampant crime and violence.

"The matter of dealing with crime, no matter how preoccupied we have become with other things, is something we can't take our eyes off," Golding told Labourites.

He added: "Investors are not going into any country where you take up the papers, or turn on the radio, and if you hear that is only two men died yesterday you say, 'Yes, thank God!'"

Golding said the range of anti-crime bills now before Parliament should assist the police in reducing dangerous crimes such as murder.

Among the proposals of the bills is to amend the bail act to allow for the detention of persons suspected of some crimes, such as murder, to be detained for up to 60 days before being eligible for bail.

Human rights activists have described the method as draconian, but Golding said Sunday that it was an important amendment given the current conditions.

The prime minister, using the example of Gravel Heights, St Catherine, said the proposed amendment would have helped the police restore normality to the area.

Thugs who wanted to place a stranglehold on Gravel Heights had forced residents to abandon their homes in December when they attempted to take control of the community. Several houses were razed, persons killed and many residents fled. Normality was restored only after members of the Jamaica Defence Force were deployed.

Golding said Government was having discussions with the Opposition People's National Party to secure its support as the amendment being sought requires two-thirds support of both houses.

Stability

Of Gravel Heights, he said that if the police were able to go in and target "the two bad men" who laid siege to the community, stability would have been achieved sooner.

"If we cannot charge them and secure the conviction at the expiration of a stipulated time we have to release them.

"By that time we should be able to put structures in place that would be able to protect the community from these marauders," Golding said.

The prime minister further outlined his vision for the country, but said that if crime was not brought under control, economic growth and social development would be unrealisable.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com