Too often police officers are accused of using strong-arm tactics that may yield immediate results, but in the end are counter-productive as they create resentment towards the force.

But there are instances like the one reported in The STAR on Saturday, whereby the police must be commended for using subtlety to get real and lasting results. In a story about a 16-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man being brought before the court for extorting taxi operators in downtown Kingston, it was reported that two officers in plain clothes observed the accused for about three hours before the arrests.

The judge complimented the policemen on their work and we add ours.

We wish there would be more police initiatives like this, whereby observation techniques are used to gather evidence on suspects. Many taxi operators face extortion every day as they go about making a honest living, sometines even being killed by the thugs.

Why, then, can't this observation of suspected extortionists be extended further? For example, the STAR has carried reports about taxi operators along Red Hills Road being harassed for money at several points as they ply their trade. Why not have a plain-clothes officer run one of these taxis, maybe with audio and video equipment, and simply observe what happens?

Arrests could be made afterwards.

The chance of being caught is what deters criminals and going undercover increases the possibility that the police will be a real deterrent to criminality.