"MR. KINGSLEY Thomas has now joined Professor Don Robotham in the call for a state of emergency to deal with the current crime level.
Neither of them is likely to be detained without charge for being "a threat to national security". Nor any of their children, for that matter. And if, by some misadventure, it were to happen, a simple phone call would take care of that.
The poor who live in our inner cities, most of whom are no less law-abiding than Mr. Thomas or Professor Robotham, have no such assurance and no such privilege. Every so often the police detain scores of people who are first locked up then "processed" and later released. Why?"
Because the police have no evidence on which to charge them. Under the Thomas-Robotham plan, the police would simply detain and lock up. No need for any "processing"! No need for any evidence! No need for any trial!
The atrocities that were perpetrated by the government in the state of emergency of 1976 must never be allowed to happen again! They will never be allowed to happen again!
I am, etc.,
BRUCE GOLDINGKingston
Bruce Golding (2003), Letter To the Gleaner objecting to the use of a State of Emergency as a measure to tackle the high crime level.
More: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20031009/letters/letters1.html