Caribbean News Now!

By Ian Francis

In recent months, there has been a plethora of international agencies crowding the regional scene with antiquated and ill-conceived models intended to contain crime and criminality in the Commonwealth Caribbean.

However, it is necessary for me at this juncture to extend heartfelt sympathy to the families and associates who lost their loved ones during a recent tragic fire at the notorious Tegucigalpa Prison in Honduras. It is interesting to note that it was only two weeks ago that the Organization of American States (OAS) entered into crime containment related agreements with the government of Honduras.

Ian Francis resides in Toronto and is a frequent contributor on Caribbean affairs. He is a former Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Grenada and can be reached at info@visminconsultancy.ca

There is no need in this article to remind readers about the persistent and escalating criminal and lawless activities taking place in many Latin countries in the region.

Most of the Latin American governments have not been able to contain the growing criminality within their ranks, so they have surrendered their responsibilities for crime containment to Washington and certain regional agencies, who are pleased to fill their glossy annual reports and websites with their ill-conceived and antiquated crime containment strategies.

Certainly, their initiatives will impress Washington, given the narrow and selfish view that criminality in the region is due to drugs. Not only are these agencies impressing Washington, they have also been successful in convincing many Commonwealth Caribbean governments that Latin American crime containment models are applicable and unfortunately many of our leaders have fallen and endorsed these unworkable models.

What is curious and interesting to many regional observers on national security is the silence of many of these flaunting international organizations on Washington’s touted Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI).

In my personal opinion, since the CBSI flagship seem to have the available financial resources for national security action in the region, it might be more productive and constructive for Commonwealth Caribbean governments to tell these international globetrotting agencies that their efforts should focus on more long term planning that will involve both agency and local crime personnel in the strategic planning process on crime and lawlessness within the various jurisdictions.

Most observers on national security in the region are cognizant of the need to build and sustain effective and qualitative initiatives that will show positive results in crime containment.

Criminal activity patterns in Latin countries and Commonwealth Caribbean countries are quite different. For example, there is the linguistic issue, the level of corruption amongst state officials is uncontrollable, and firearms use in Latin countries is more obvious, culminating in oppressed social and economic situations.

The Commonwealth Caribbean states are very cognizant of a helping hand in national security and crime containment initiatives. At the same time those in control or leadership in national governments, along with hot headed international organizations operatives, should understand that effective national security and crime containment planning cannot be achieved in the manner presented.

It is clearly understood that there are immense pressures on national governments, both by internal and external interests, to address crime and other issues in their respective nations. However, this can only be realized through the effective implementation and sustainability of practices and models that are embedded locally. My advice to Caribbean governments is to cool their heels and press Washington for flexibility in their much touted CBSI.

With my ongoing interest in national security issues, a few months ago I commented about the organizational and staffing problems within a key and critical regional security apparatus known as IMPACS. At the time of my commentaries, I predicted that future legal action by the former executive director was possible. Well, it is no more speculation, as the dismissed executive director has now filed civil proceedings and the elusive former Commissioner of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), Francis Forbes, who assumed the acting executive director position, is now left in the wild kingdom to comment on Ms Williams’ lawsuit.

It tells me clearly that the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago’s intention to collaborate with Venezuela on prison reform should not be taken seriously. The OAS firearms marking program should be taken with a grain of salt and all the other international concerned agencies that have suddenly awakened to learn that national security and crime are serious development issues in the Caribbean Commonwealth region require more in-depth attention and long-term approaches.

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