IN RESPONSE to an increasingly alarming situation in which murderers now seemingly have no qualms in attacking their victims at all hours of the day and at all locations, the police top brass has served up the same ole, same ole.

Police officers will be called out from their vacations, said acting Commissioner of Police Mc Donald Jacob on Tuesday. Authorities will ramp up patrols in 'zones of special concern.' Work with international partners to stem the flow of illegal guns will continue. He fingered gang culture as a part of the problem and called for a multi-sectoral approach.

So faithfully did Mr Jacob stick to the script, he complained about a lack of properly working police vehicles, upbraided absent fathers and sought to flog the dead horse of the denial of bail for violent offences, which expired earlier this month.

If the Government's declaration of crime being a 'public health emergency' was meant to change the State's approach, we have seen little palpable evidence of that.

What we are seeing, though, is the spectre of people being gunned down in plain sight at watering holes, citizens kidnapped for ransom, the apparent discovery of shells connected to the Defence Force at crime scenes and people killed after venturing into their yards.

We could do, therefore, without the added aggravation of a top cop trotting out hackneyed ideas and insights and, worse, awkwardly urging the public to exercise patience.

For example, Mr Jacob's move to double manpower in five policing divisions and to cancel leave and call officers to duty is little comfort to anyone. It simply highlights the problem of police staffing.

While the top cop must have special insight into the productivity of his team, there is enough research to suggest workers need periods of recovery if they are to function at optimal levels.

With police officers being among those who were at the frontline of the pandemic for the last two years, the risk that many of them will simply be subject to burnout is very real. If that is the case, simply putting 'more boots on the ground' may not have the desired effect.

In fact, it could contribute to an already difficult situation which has seen long-standing concerns about the way police officers work.

To be fair, Mr Jacob may be unable to broadcast a lot of what the authorities are doing. He has also opted not to engage in gimmickry or flash-in-the pan announcements of elite operations.

But the public needs to be assured, whether by the police or the Government, that soon the streets will once again be safe.

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