Time for action |Old Harbour citizens launch crime lobby group

However, the anticipated show of support fell flat, as not more than 15 people were present at the OJ Koolers parking lot on June 23.

Like a voice preaching in the proverbial wilderness, convener Randy Finnikin – a renowned public social activist and Old Harbour resident – made a rallying cry for citizens to unite in the fight against crime.

He articulated a wide range of plausible plans and strategies that could save Old Harbour – Jamaica’s fastest growing town – from the brink of urban blight and social decay.

For this to bear fruit, he said the CAAC, in conjunction with the police, will engage youth within the schools and communities in a bid to institutionalize a values and attitudes programme that will spur behavioural modification for the greater good.

Adults too will also be engaged through respective citizen’s associations as well as the business community.

But why such noble ideas are not gaining the kind of support from the general public, we asked.

“It is going to take time for people to come forward publicly upfront, albeit they are still giving the support behind the scene by the private messages and the calls they are still making the commitment in standing with us,” Finnikin told Old Harbour News afterwards.

He contends that the ‘informer fi dead’ culture and the perceived lack of trust in the police force are driving fear into the hearts of the people who would want to be visible supporters of the movement. 

“I am of the view that there is still a fear factor associated with public engagement in any crime, community safety initiative. We will have to earn the confidence and the support of the people,” he argued.

Since its formation the CAAC has been laying the ground work, Finnikin informed Old Harbour News, highlighting they are now affiliates of similar but more established lobby groups such as Violence Prevention Alliance, National Integrity Action among others to “galvanise mass support” locally.

He was hoping such level of work would have energised greater support in numbers at the launch and despite being a popular figure himself among the other founding members, the group is still trying to publicly raise $21,000 to formally register as a benevolent society.

And even though the amount needed they themselves can easily find out of pocket, Finnikin said support from the wider society in the Old Harbour space is important, as all stakeholders are impacted by crime.

With “approximately $18,000” already secured for registration, Finnikin added: “We took the stance that given the importance of this civil society action we rather appeal to the citizenry to contribute. We want them to feel a part of this movement.”

Finnikin who is a Hanoverian by birth, reiterated calls for the institutionalization of proactive measures and has again drawn similarities between his native parish and Old Harbour.

He repeated examples of near identical parallels between Hanover and Old Harbour and therefore his action is one of being pre-emptive.

“The data is there to prove to us that we are heading down a slippery slope.

“What happened is state funds have not been pumped into Old Harbour, because many of the funding entities were told that Old Harbour doesn’t have a crime problem,” said the CAAC convener who also previously headed the Old Harbour Development Area Committee (OHDAC).

He told Old Harbour News that “since 2002 through OHDAC we’ve been trying to access funding to implement proactive engagement of youth, to keep youth out of risk” but is constantly being overlooked because of this flawed assessment by both government and non-government agencies.

“Now through CAAC we want to be more targeted. What we are seeing, we are seeing the crime stats growing in Old Harbour.

“We are seeing more and more of our youth at risk, falling through the cracks, and what we are saying, therefore, is we want an intervention focus on our young people, but at the same time looking to address the issues that are root causes to some of our problems.

“But the approach we are taking is the engagement of the citizenry of Old Harbour,” he said.

From a conservative perspective, Finnikin said, it would cost about $3 million to execute a single intervention programme targeting 100 at-risk youth. To sustain the same programme long-term, though, would require anywhere between five and seven million dollars, he reasoned.

But the group, which also included Reverend Desmond Whitely of the Sunbeam Boys Home and ex-army man Winston Mollison, is resolute and committed to its mission to “sensitize and engage citizens around the high incidence of crime and anti-social behaviours affecting Jamaica and to promote proactive actions that could lead to the preservation of life and livelihoods”.