People in the Caribbean and the Caribbean Diaspora are simultaneously frustrated, apprehensive, and confused about crime in most Caribbean countries. One of the prevailing topics among Caribbean nationals in South Florida are the reasons, and suggestions, for solving crime in the region.
As the Diaspora receive reports of wanton violent criminal activities, it’s understandable that fear and concerns for relatives and friends back home prompt calls for more drastic crime fighting measures by respective governments.
Like temporary bandages
However, while policies like increasing law enforcement raids, harsher penalties for gun related crimes, and even state of emergencies, may be needed, these are effectively like temporary bandages on bleeding wounds.
Lack of adequate social-development
Crime in the Caribbean, or anywhere else, will continue relentlessly unless governments recognize what is staring them in the face. Crime waves result from lack of adequate socio-economic development and weakened educational systems.
Today, some 56 years after the collapse of the West Indies Federation, some people still argue that so many small Caribbean islands are incapable of adequately governing themselves because of the economic demands of political independence. Whether this argument is valid or not, the truth is that whatever wealth there is within respective Caribbean nations isn’t being equitably distributed. In most of these countries, the wealth continues to be owned by tiny minorities.
While government intervention is needed to implement social development programs that could provide social and economic opportunities for the majority of populations, such programs have consistently lacked aggression.
Unfortunately, it’s the youth who are the primary victims of these weak social development programs.
Social development in the 1970s
In 1970s Jamaica, the primary objective of the Michael Manley administration was to establish a balanced social development and education program. During the first half of the two-term tenure of this administration, crime was relatively controlled. The administration policies included, increasing taxes on corporations, including bauxite companies; offering land access to farmers; broadening tertiary education opportunities through free education; training youth for job opportunities through a national youth program; and enhancing literacy through a national literacy program.
But because the administration’s policy was deemed to be socialist, foreign powers applied pressure and the government’s financial resources dwindled. To obtain financial assistance from multinational agencies like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) the government was forced to eliminate most of its social development programs. The unfortunate result was that opportunities and hope also dwindled for the youth, and, not surprisingly, crime increased.
Government programs encumbered by IMF
Since the Manley experiment, successive Jamaican governments have either been reluctant to focus on intense social development programs or, encumbered in a box set by the IMF. It isn’t surprising that the escalation of crime in several Caribbean nations coincides with simultaneous IMF funding agreements, since these agreements don’t tolerate social development programs.
Focus on the youth
But if the youth aren’t effectively educated; if they are no job training opportunities; if the government and private sector doesn’t have broad-based employment programs, what happens to the youth? They turn to alternative means of making money. They turn to crime, including involvement in violent gang activities, dealing in hard drugs, and in fraudulent or scamming schemes.
Unfortunately, these alternative criminal money-making schemes are tempting to other emerging youth with limited education and job opportunities. They see youth a little older than themselves driving new cars, dressed fashionably, using the latest telecommunication devices, having access to unlimited women, and crave that lifestyle. And so, crime increases.
Recently, a commentator in a Jamaican newspaper predicted solving the crime problems in Jamaica would take at least 10 years.
It could take even longer unless the government addresses: weak family structures that foster indiscipline ad lose values among male and female youth; strengthen the educational system; reintroduce a national, preferable military style youth training program; create job opportunities in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors; improve the country’s foreign exchange earning potential without the IMF; and hasten to eradicate alternative sources of income earning, including gun and drug dealing, and the bourgeoning scam ‘industry.’
Increased law enforcement and state of emergencies are necessary, but only temporary, measures to control the escalating crime situation. After these efforts end, crime will resurface unless governments find ways to implement meaningful social development programs that gradually alleviate poverty and keep the expanding youth population positively and profitably engaged.
