Dear Editor,
The fact that bandits could have attacked former Assistant Commissioner of Police Leslie James and his family in their home, months after a similar attack on retired Assistant Commissioner Clinton Conway is an indication that increasing incidents of crime as reported in the media are worrying and must be roundly condemned. It clearly makes no sense to argue about whether crime is on the increase or decrease when as a nation we should be concerning ourselves with the apparent increasing fear of crime in our country. I get the sense that criminals do not care any more about identifying their targets, but are in an opportunistic mode.
Recently I was on the Corentyne when a prospective remigrant convinced me that notwithstanding that plans in furtherance of his family’s ardent desire to return home after nearly three decades abroad are in train, the incidents of serious crime as reported in quarterly and annual police statistics are not encouraging. The point I made a few years ago is that although the police may be struggling mightily to solve crime, some people feel (rightly or wrongly) that not enough attention is being given to realistic prevention strategies. The jury remains out on this one.
In some schools citing comparative statistics from one year to the next is self-defeating since there is no reference to a base figure for a particular period which can assist in making a more convincing case about the level of crime. For example, quoting a figure which indicates that a particular crime has increased compared to a period of the previous year might not be as accurate a picture than if we were to consider a base figure for the same type of crime for the same period over, let’s say, five years. The problem here is that there is no high level analysis which examines several factors including prevention strategies, available police and community resources, etc. Therefore in the absence of a base figure and serious consideration of those factors there is the likelihood that a reported increase of a serious crime is in reality the opposite.
Obviously this cuts both ways.
Editor, the fact remains that there must be a concomitant recognition that eradicating the fear of crime is a function of successful crime prevention strategies. It stands to reason that any spike or lack of decrease in the levels of violent crime will escalate public fear about safety and security. This raises the issue of what strategies were implemented during a particular period that caused a decrease. Similarly people need to know what was done or not done that resulted in an increase in crime. It is quite easy to show an increase or decrease in numbers but the difficulty lies in identifying the cause. The answers to these and other questions can go a far way in boosting the credibility of the police in terms of proving that they are indeed on top of things. In fact it is questionable when the murder rate in a country should be accepted as the best indicator of crime rate change because of the disproportionally large impact it has on the country in relation to fear. It is possible that there could be a reduction in the overall crime rate but still an environment of heightened public fear which drives calls for urgent action.
An important aspect which is often ignored is that all interventions social (or otherwise) that are intended to change the physical or social organization of communities and influence the behaviour change should be subjected to rigorous evaluation based on an assessment of predetermined practical and policy outcomes of the strategy. It is to be noted that social crime prevention measures take time to produce results and patience is advised.
In the absence of solid data it is also not as clear cut as we would like to believe when it comes to identifying a definitive link between the laxity of laws and crime increases, or the instituting of severe penalties and decreases in crime with the probable exception of hanging during Desmond Hoyte’s regime. The plaintive cry that serial offenders are back on the streets in literally weeks is worthy of note, and therefore interventions with unsullied young people and even those who may be vulnerable or susceptible to criminal influences are laudable. It is a community’s responsibility to advocate for, and provide greater resources to young people to help them make positive life-changing decisions.
Process and outcome evaluation would focus inter alia on implementation, operation and management of activities; an assessment of whether they are being delivered as planned and according to programme design; the identification of factors impacting on deliverables; the overall effectiveness of the intervention and whether the stated objectives have been achieved; and the impact on participants, stakeholders and the broader community.
Yours faithfully,
Patrick E Mentore
