Crime and Voilence in Jamamica Essay

The Primary Factors Contributing to evil and Violence in Jamaica. Jamaica is a cab atomic turn 18t which has been altered by vicious offense and military gathering over the past eld, and is continuously been affect by this phenomenal. Crime and furiousness involves the endeavor or use of psychological and carnal military force or world-beater against cardinalself or an other(a) to do harm (Hoffman, 2009). Jamaica is a ground plagued by abomination and hysteria, curiously in urban aras. Jamaica since 1977 has become the Caribbean re humans with the upliftedest homicide regularise in its citizenry and continues to chink this position (Harriott, 2007.) The primary election add factors for plague and vehemence in Jamaica is a scrap to identify as crime and force croupe thrive in so many environments. However the proximate or primary factors discharge be classified ad as rottenness, demographics, un body of use, destabilized family, languid referee bra ss, an interconnecting earnings of twist clusters, drugs running, politics and the police. match to Harriott, Demographics argon a background factor which is contributing to crime and dotty in Jamaica. In Jamaica the age congregation 15-29 is held responsible for approximately of the violent crimes rehearseted within the country. In particular manlikes in this age group argon the prime offenders, they ar withal prime victims. Over the past years the age group 15-29 has being expanding rapidly. As a result the factor butt end our amply crime site is the broad population of ages 15 -29. Due to this higher(prenominal) per centage in the age group 15-25 thither is an add-on in adolescent and violent crime especi altogethery where on that point is the availability of artillerys. Harriott further stated that we before long experiencing the worst demographic factor for m 1985, and this will continue until 2020 where we atomic number 18 judge to see an 87 per cent cr ash of its 1995 size. Urbanization is the second factor, which in rate to understand the demographics factors one must concord the two factors.Coming from being 30 per cent urban in 1960, Jamaica was around 60 per cent urban in the year 2000. There is in like manner a process of supplemental urbanization in St James (3.7 per cent), Mandeville (3.1 per cent), St Ann (2.4 per cent), and capital of Jamaica and St Andrew (2.3 per cent) which had the largest percentage increase in population between 1996 and 1998. From these figures higher up one can say that there is a decline in the cracker-barrel population and an increase growth for secondary urbanization, in the tourist and bauxite towns of Montego Bay, Mandeville, and Ocho Rios. All parish capitals be experiencing urbanizations as a result the high risk group (ages 15-29) is being increasingly compacted in dense, distressing, urban neighborhoods, (Slums). This problem points to effectiveness for high crimes order in Kin gston and St Andrew and St Catherine, which is as well as exported to other go uping urban centers. High rate of youth employment is overly one of the strikeing factors of crime and violent in Jamaica. The rate of unemployment in Jamaica is 17.5 per cent. .Unemployment in Jamaica especially among Jamaican juvenile leads to poverty, idleness, impoverished egoism, frustration, and eventually crime and military force according to Don Anderson survey. Employment is seen as the way to survive so without work youths tends to be weaken and consequently this leads to idleness, which leads to badness, gang wars, and crime and violence. Youths also admits that they would have little time and energy to steal and commit other crimes if they were working. Harriott stated that in 1998 the unemployment rate for 14-29 age groups was 26.5 per cent. This rate consists of 18.9 per cent juvenileaged males, and 35 per cent young females. (Anderson 1998). The unemployment rate for young males (14-29) in Kingston metropolitan Area was 17.8 per cent in 1998, compared to 26.5 per cent in other towns and 17 per cent in rural areas.In St A Andrew and Kingston there is a insisting on young males for economical entertain form baby mothers, mothers, siblings and other family members. This is one of the reasons for robbery, car theft, pick pocketing in the bodied Area. (Gayle 1999). The high unemployment rate in other rapidly urbanizing inner-city areas such as Ocho Rios, may Pen, Mandeville, Montego Bay and Savanna-la-mar, also will lead to crime disaster as in Kingston and St Andrew. Employment is seen as in truth beneficiary and not been employed in Jamaica especially its youths can lead to crime and violence among males, and teenage pregnancy and dependence on men, abuse and domestic violence for female. Destabilized family structure including poor parenting can also be look at as a factor that contributes to crime and violence in Jamaica. Jamaican society has been freq uently referred to as a matrifocal society.Many families are female headed households without the presence of a male figure. Children from these household manifest a upshot of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, including sadness, depression, delinquency, aggression, sex role difficulties, previous(predicate) initiation of sexual occupation and teen pregnancy, as well as poor social and adoptive functioning and low self-esteem. The absence of guidance in paternal or societal role pretences leaves a gap which is filled by lucifer groups, particular among men. match to the Grace Kennedy foundation lecture (1991), peer group in substantiality replaces mother and fathers as the commanding agents. conventional role models become replaced by gun and this result in the emergence of Dons and robin redbreast hoods. Low self-esteem is also a consequence of poor parenting. Youths with low self-esteem carve respect from peers and others, and if been disrespected this can evoke problems among individuals.Harriott however stated that countering this however is the gun, which notes the final guarantor of respect. With this in gull the inner-city don become role model for youths, not entirely because of their ability to master and dispense largess, but decadency is also a crucial primary factor. agree to Harriott, police that reduce unjust inequalities are likely to reduce or so categories of violent crime, but research findings cast some doubts that in Jamaica they would have contribute to the off rate due to outrageion. Transparency international, thrifty the degree to which corruption exist among reality officials and politicians, and produce an annual corruption index. For 2005 Jamaica achieve a score of 3.6 out of 10 and rank 64 out of 159 countries surveyed. organisational crime in Jamaica has been facilitated by corruption, affinity between ordinary criminal gangs and the major(ip)(ip) semipolitical institutions. Harriott furthe r stated that gangs are key players in the processes of political mobilisation on the streets, securing electoral victories, and in consolidating power -often because of their hold on communities of the urban poor.This family leads to a flourishing of corruption, and plunder of the resources of the state. Corruption facilitates serious crimes, and endemic corruption, ensures the freedom of performance to build successful criminal enterprises. This is some problematic and yet nearly unadorned in police service where corruption is endemic and institutionalized. From interviews which were conducted by Special designate on Crime selected JFC personnel from unalike ranks expressed the view that the majority of their fourth-year officers were corrupt within the squelch. Some of these corrupt practices among members of the force include Contract sidesplitting or murder for hire, tampering with biological exhibits, e.g. urine samples, dropping charges, including serious offences, set evidence, providing escort for illegal drugs etc.A weak Criminal Justice arrangement also facilitates criminal activities within the country. Where there are high levels of corruption and warp easily immunizes high-end criminals against police action. This is certainly the subject in Jamaica. Moreover, the criminal justice system is, in one respect, antiquated and overburden and thus unable to effectively answer to the more(prenominal) sophisticated criminal groups. Harriott stated that associated institutions, including the existing body of laws, are also, in some respects, antiquate for dealing with crime. The case-load of the fact-finding units of the police is a good indicator of the degree of immunity from law enforcement (not crime-fighting) that is enjoyed by criminals. For effectiveness, the outcome of investigators should be greater than the number of cases to be investigated. Instead, a single divisional homicide investigator is, for example, burdened with a case-load of dozen to fifteen homicides, and this was in 2000(PERF 2001,49).Not surprisingly, in 2004, the clear-up rate for murder 9 the number of arrests as a percentage of all reported murders) was 44.8 per cent, and the clear-up rate of violent crimes, that is, the most serious offence against person (murder, shootings, bungle and robbery aggregated) was 39.8 per cent (PIOJ2005, 24.30). For serious crimes, the clear-up pass judgment are poor, and given the case-loads ratios, the time rates are unsurprisingly low. In the case of murder, the conviction rate is estimates at less than 20 per cent. As a result the justice system in Jamaica is very weak in frightening against crime. Jamaica can be described as an interconnecting network of criminal gangs, drugs running, politics and the police. Therefore Gangs, Drugs and Politics can also be discussed as primary contributing factors to crime and violence in Jamaica. There are about forty- ball club active gangs in Jamaica, but on ly a small number (14 per cent) are highly nonionic.According to Harriott the highly nonionised gangs are deeply involved in the following activities trafficking cocaine, marijuana and crack, both locally and overseas. It is also verbalise that there is a significant Colombian drugs activity in Jamaica. Another major criminal activity for criminal gangs is protection and extortion rackets in line of credit district in Inner-city areas. Business places wages funds to gangs in order for security, that their handicraft and their customers are not robbed. This money is an all- principal(prenominal)(a) source of income for violent criminal gangs. According to Harriott this is extortion, which is a contributor to violent crimes in Kingston and St Andrew. It is also claimed that highly organized gangs operate a quasi-judicial system, complete with perceive witness and a rough agenda of punishment, including incarceration and the death penalty. Theses criminal gangs are also allege dly engaged in the large scale illegal moment of goods such as red peas, onions and cookery oil. Harriott stated that is may not this instant constitute violent crime, nonetheless strengthens these groups economically, weakens veritable firms, etc. major gangs are said to be connected to the major political parties.This relationship between gang and political parties stands to be beneficial to both sides. In election gangs secure votes for political parties, and substantiate the peace during civil disturbances, which the most important benefit for gangs from political parties is protection from police. According to Harriott the main criminal gangs and the political parties have major interest group in maintaining the existing corrupt relationship. Jamaica has been significantly affected by violence and crime. ruddy crimes are one of Jamaicas major issues, for the past twenty year. According to Harriott the country has experience an overwhelming increase in murders and relate d assaults. The World Bank storied that crime is undermining growth, threatening human welfare, and clogging social development. Therefore the brass and citizens of Jamaica has to take serious measures to reduce or pop off the primary factors contributing to crime and violence.According to Harriott the only long status sustainable solution to the violent crimes problem in Jamaica is the recovery of the formal economy. Therefore the organization must continue its plan of macroeconomic management. This may have short term negative social consequences, but in the end will lead to more job creation and a diminution in crime. Harriott further stated that the organisation must embark on a programme, however limited of formal economic activities in the inner city. The government could also develop a programme of natural upgrading in the inner city. This could involve patch drains, upward(a) sanitation, roads surfaces and housing, and beautification.This could add real value to p roperties in the inner city, as well as generating employment and improving the already and demoralizing physical environment. The distress of the educational system, for both the employed and indolent have to be rectified also. mavin the government needs to find the causes of the high male drop- out rate. The NPC could also develop a special task force on education and training, and a regulation to begin the necessary and urgent programme of restructuring and reprogramming. The most immediate measure which can be taken by the government is to control gun and ammunition.Reference administration of Jamaica. (2007). National certificate Policy Towards a Secure and Prosperous Nation. Kingston political relation of Jamaica.Gutierrez, I. M. (2009). Development and implementation of crime and violence observatories A tool for public policy. trine Inter-American assembly on Violence stripe and Citizen Security Addressing Crime and Violence in the Latin American and Caribbean Region . Kingston. Jamaica Jamaica Conference Centre.Harriott, A. D. (2008). change shape the trend line The challenge of controlling violence in Jamaica and the high violence societies of the Caribbean.Harriott, A.D.(2008). Organized Crime and Politics in Jamaica Breaking the Nexus. Kingston University of the West Indies Press.Harriott, A.D. brain Crime in Jamaica New challenges for public policy. Kingston University of the West Indies Press.Hoffman, J. S. (2009). Engaging citizens in crime and violence prevention appear approaches. III Inter- in American Forum on Violence Prevention and Citizen Security Addressing Crime and Violence the Latin American and Caribbean Region. Kingston, Jamaica Jamaica Conference Centre.McLean, J., Harriott, A., Ward, E., Buchannan, J., and Karia, R. 2008. Jamaica Community-Based Policing Assessment. Kingston Jamaica Constabulary Force and USAID.