THE 'ONE GANG' PERIL

MORE AND more reports are surfacing about attempts by a dominant criminal
mind to consolidate disparate gangs into 'One Gang' - a supra all-inclusive
fraternity of thugs and gunmen with allegiance to a single leader and an
ominous common purpose to control the criminal underground. The first
inkling of this was in St. Catherine and we are now hearing about the same
perilous development in St. James.

The indiscipline and aggressive individualism of Jamaicans have hitherto
mitigated against the consolidation of gangs but the issue is now being
tested, perhaps by a potential maximo leader who does not hesitate to murder
the leaders of smaller gangs who refuse the invitation to merge. And just as
businessmen in the private sector have found ways of channelling the
undisciplined personality of Jamaicans into productive teams, so too some
deportee, with an advanced "degree" in crime earned in a foreign jail, may
possess organisational skills beyond our imagination.

One such deportee is reported to be involved in the Canterbury battle and
the police have declared a manhunt for him. We are concerned why deportees
should be allowed such freedom to travel at will. Local police have
complained that their hands are tied in relation to restriction orders
recommended to be placed on a number of dangerous deportees.

It appears that court approval is required on the basis of documentation
detailing trial and evidence relating to each deportee. In short, legal red
tape is stymying effective surveillance of such deportees.

If such persons succeed in consolidating 'One Gang' rule the criminals would
be well on their way to taking over the streets and imposing their will on
the society.

If the police operation in Canterbury was as successful as the police claim,
the next area to be cleaned up should be the Wareika Hills which provide
habitation for criminals who sally forth into Mountain View Avenue and
across the Corporate Area. To accomplish this we may well need to request
the assistance of foreign police on the scale suggested by Mr. Gordon
'Butch' Stewart - some 2,000 personnel who would serve on contract as
'advisors' for a year or two.

American force serves in this capacity in many countries of the world as
part of the international fight against drugs. Mr. Stewart's suggestion is
not likely to appeal periodically to the present administration but,
compared with declaring a state of emergency, it might be the lesser of two
evils.