THE EDITOR: Now that our largest national event has concluded, it may be appropriate for us to collectively and dispassionately consider these brief comments.

My comments may be both repetitive and boring to some, but until there is change I am constrained to bring to the nation's attention the urgent need for radical policy change in our approach to national security in general and more particularly in policing.

Our decision-makers and administrators repeatedly churn out numbers related to incidents and draw conclusions based on year-on-year comparisons. Unfortunately, none of these is useful, simply because raw data must always first be characterised before analysis can be done and pre-determined confidence levels tested before conclusions drawn are validated.

It is only under such conditions can we reliably evaluate whatever specific interventions made have succeeded in achieving the desired outcome(s).

My advocacy for change rests on a single platform which is a change from event policing to policing communities. Should change be effected, successful communities will be able to continue promoting all their events.

Because ongoing progressive community policing relies on making interventions only when adequate and related information on the social and economic life in communities is gathered and understood, it should be evident that most of the requisite information would have already become available. Planned interventions aimed at reducing undesirable outcomes can therefore be better targeted and outcomes quantified.

Accordingly, the only need would be to make minor adjustments as required whenever special events are initiated, whether in individual communities or collectively at national level.

SAMUEL B HOWARD

St Joseph

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