Last week Government launched a new operation geared at addressing what the Prime Minister now considers to be a crisis in crime. As fate would have it, the week of Operation Jaguar coincided was one of the rainiest weeks of 2010. Whether it was weather or Operation Jaguar, Belize City was relatively quiet this past week.
How do you measure the effectiveness of these operations? Do these operations result in more convictions? Do they cause a sustained lull in crime and violent activities? What follow up measures will have to be put in place to stem this growing violence in our urban centres?
As our town and cities grow, there is increased crime and insecurity. True, this is not unique to Belize; indeed urban crime and violence is a global concern. At the same time, attacks on businesses and individuals have a negative effect on the success of businesses' economic stability and hinders social enhancement. In addition to the human suffering inflicted, crime is a major impediment to development.
As the crime rate continues to spiral out of control, we hear of another reduction – that in the area of foreign direct investment. Those in the service industry, especially those who cater to tourists as well as people in the entertainment industry, are hindered by the need to close down early or to finance the high cost of security. With all this affecting the movement of tourists who move around at night, local entertainers, artisans and other entertainment providers are discouraged from initiating or sustaining economic activity because of the threat of crime and violence. All this means that if the Government cannot guarantee the security and safety of Belizean who live in the cities and towns, the nation cannot be expected to move safely along the path of economic and social development.
Murders and violent crimes in addition to being a scare on the national conscience drive a nation into a culture of fear. Crimes such as burglary, robbery, vandalism, shoplifting, theft, fraud and extortion cost businesses considerable revenue each year. In Belize, where most of the businesses are small, crime will cause drastic changes in operation, from adjusting opening hours to raising prices to cover losses and to finance extra security; the cost will have to be borne by an already financially limited consumer.
Operation Jaguar will sweep through the city and some people will be arrested; a few may even end up behind bars. Hopefully if they are a part of the crime culture those caught will go to prison for a long time. Yet this will not change anything. Today modern cities, many strapped for cash, use innovation and technology to deal with the crime problem. No longer do they rely on outdated methods to convict criminals – instead they use forensic science and video to catch perpetrators.
Technology and properly trained law enforcement personnel are among the most important parts of keeping cities safer. Of course other cultural practices and norms must change as well. Most cities today are cashless. With the advent of credit and debit cards, few people carry enough cash to encourage a mugger. Likewise, with business mostly cashless due to credit cards and the abundance of cash machines, businesses no longer have large amounts of cash on hand that would cause some to jack an establishment and risk being caught on camera. It is just not worth it.
Likewise, with the availability of advanced technology, now accessible with a mobile phone, police officers can upload date and distribute to beat cops within minutes of an incident; as such a police patrol doing a routine stop in an area can use the internet to run background checks or receive information on suspected criminals literally minutes after a crime has been committed.
Operation Jaguar may indeed have added to the quiet in the streets for a week, but if the Government is serious about addressing crime and insecurity in our cities and towns then it will require a lot more than a sting operation. It will require a committed, sustained and modern approach to dealing with crime. If the Barrow administration has the will, they will have the support of the people. The trouble is that so far the Government has failed to show any meaningful commitment to dealing with the problem and if they ever do, it may just be too late for all of us.
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Source: The Belize Times
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