Po-Po's Is Peoples Too!

Nevermind the horrible grammar.

With the most recent cop-killing, the count of murdered policemen in Jamaica since the start of the year is now 5. That is, in 35 days of 2007, 5 policemen have been murdered. In essence, that's one cop every week.

This may be a tad disturbing to the Police Force, and understandably so. However (and you may call me unreasonable for this), I don't empathize with them when there is this major outrage after a murder. There are several reasons why I feel this way:

1. The country's murder rate is not low. Our Police Force is strapped with the responsibility of keeping the crime rate down. Is it not plausible, and likely, that some of the law-keepers themselves will be felled in the process? When one sends troops to war (and we're virtually at war in some areas), would you not expect casualties? Why the major commotion then?

2. We all know that our Police Force isn't exactly our greatest compilation of saints and martyrs. Many of them, it seems, are in the middle of the very corruption they should be guarding us against. Isn't it possible, then, that in some instances their demise is not one caused by their occupation but rather one caused by their associations? Criminals do kill criminals you know!

3. Policemen are people too! They live in homes, and roam our streets, and dance in our clubs (and smoke our weed) like everyone else. They are just as exposed to random hold-ups, and car-jackings, and kidnappings, and murders as the rest of us are. In fact, they are even more exposed than we are. Can't it be expected that they will become victims like others who don't wear the uniform?

I know they're sometimes targeted, and often for reasons that we never know. But I'm tired of hearing responses from the Force which could lead one to believe that there are armies of criminals riding on motorcycles and shooting at anybody who dawns a police uniform. It's simply not true. If it were, there would be a lot more than 5 dead po-po's in 35 days.