Acting Commish gives me hope

I don't know about you, but I like what I am seeing from Acting Commissioner of Police Clifford Blake.

I have long made it known that I didn't like much of what the previous commissioner was doing. Whenever you have someone in such a role and your 'strategy' for fighting a growing crime problem was to seek 'divine' intervention, I no longer have confidence in anything you do or say.

I lost hope for Peter Bunting when he uttered similar words during his tenure at Security Minister.

However, this Clifford Blake is giving me hope that he could be the man for the job on a more permanent basis.

And, it is really not anything profound that he has done that is making me a fan. It is a rather simple thing.

For years, law-abiding motorists have been at the mercy of the lawlessness that exists on Jamaica's roads. Buses and taxis rule the roads and many motorists are basically resigned to dealing with it. My wife, for example, is now a candidate for anger management sessions because taxis and buses drive her crazy every day. The poor woman is at her wits end dealing with the recklessness.

Strategic points

But of late, we have seen a change.

Policemen and women have been deployed at strategic points along the main thoroughfares during peak hour traffic, and you know what, all of a sudden things are not so bad on our streets anymore.

Just recently, I read a story on Jamaica Today about how taxi drivers in Half-Way Tree are praising the new commissioner because, not only has the police presence helped restore some semblance of order, the policemen themselves have not been as hostile as they tend to be, which only serves to anger an already angry public.

ACP Clifford Blake has had four years of experience in charge of strategic operations in the Jamaica Constabulary Force, and it may already be beginning to show. It is a simple thing, but sometimes the right strategy at the right time makes even the most complicated situations seem simple.

If this new paradigm that exists on the streets is maintained, before long I do believe we will see major changes in the way buses and taxis use the roadways.

After that, there will be something new for the Acting Commissioner to fix, and based on what I am seeing so far, my expectations are pretty high.