(Jamaica Gleaner) Justice Minister Delroy Chuck says Jamaica’s gunmen are operating like Russian president Vladimir Putin, killing and maiming people without just cause.
According to data compiled by the Jamaica Constabulary Force, from January 1 to March 29 this year, 364 people were murdered.
This is 3.2 per cent or 12 fewer than the tally for the corresponding period of 2021 when 376 murders were reported.
“Jamaica is not as bad as Ukraine, but in some areas in Jamaica, the gunmen behave like Vladimir Putin, who feels he should control others and tell others what is to be done and control their movements,” Chuck said.
The Justice Minister was addressing members of the Savanna-la-Mar Seventh Day Adventist Church on Saturday.
On February 24, Putin’s army invaded Ukraine apparently over its decision to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
The organisation is an intergovernmental military alliance of 30 member states, 28 of which are in Europe and the other two in North America.
The months-old Russian invasion of Ukraine has seen food, water, and medicine running scarce.
According to Chuck, Jamaica is also a battlefield and far too many communities are at war.
He said alternative dispute resolution is required to help solve some of the conflicts.
“We have too many persons, families, neighbourhoods, communities, churches who are at war,” the justice minister said.
The minister also said many Jamaicans had become very intolerant of each other.
“For one reason or another, people have so many disagreements, families fighting, neighbours fighting, communities fighting and what is very important is for us to be able to see how we can encourage persons to really deal with one another in a loving, harmonious Christian Like way,” Chuck told the Seventh-Day Adventist congregation in Westmoreland.
