Those in power tell the Jamaican people that they want a better Police Department because the Police are corrupt. So corrupt that they have to bring in the Army’s head to take over.
Remember now, this was not done once, not twice, we are on the third iteration of this freak show in which the head of the 3’000-man army is brought in to head the 10’000 man police force.
As far as things look nothing has changed for the better.
Those who hate Police and want their beliefs to be validated will have their beliefs readily validated by the decision makers.
To the rest of us who understand that when we go to the supermarket we want groceries for our money, much like we expect gas when we go to the gas station, when we pay police we want security.
With that said when we look at the crime situation those who are willing to think, readily understand that nothing is being done to put the boot heels on the neck of the criminals.
Some will make the argument that criminals are being empowered more and more each day. I am among those people.
I do not care too much who leads the JCF as long as they do a good Job.
In fact, I believe we should have a civilian commissioner of Police and a police chief in the JCF and I have said so in numerous articles.
I also believe that the force has every right to source expertise wherever possible or necessary but that does not mean stupidly giving those civilian workers police rank. Doing so is counterproductive.
Rank is earned not something bestowed on someone because they have a skill you would like to exploit.
In the greatest Military in the world, the US military, rank is awarded on merit.
In police Departments across America, consultants give invaluable service to the thousands of departments nationwide, they are not given rank.
My problem with Antony Anderson, is that he paid lip service that he would eschew corruption but as soon as he took office he brought his boy with him.
Make no mistake about it that is corruption and it is wrong.
As far as the senior ranks of the JCF are concerned, (with the exception of a couple of them) I don’t care whether they are overlooked or not, or they never get another promotion.
They have been abysmal with the power they have had over the decades.
As a consequence, there has been an astronomically high attrition rate of talented people who would not tolerate their BS.
Because of nepotism, political leanings, gross incompetence, envy, ignorance, and a general sense of not wanting to see talented young people advance they brought the JCF to where it is today.
Both political parties have been all too willing to help push the wagon over the ledge, all while talking about crime as if they are doing something about it.
Because the senior corps of the JCF aligned itself to the two political parties in ways that make them subservient yard-boys to the party bosses, they gambled away the power of the JCF, rendering it ineffective and unable to impact crime positively.
Simply put, if the Commissioner of Police is a slavish tool to the ruling class, he is also a tool to their criminal henchmen, if they are tools to the henchmen they are tools to the shottas.
What authority then, does a constable have to do his job against these people?
Whether we acknowledge it or not, the fact remains that the Jamaica Constabulary Force is completely incapable of bringing charges against a politician regardless of his/her crimes.
This is a direct result of the feckless incompetence of the Gazetted Ranks from the commissioner of police on down, throughout the years
By that Metric the JCF is incapable of bringing charges against any major criminal player, (a‑la Christopher
It is for that reason why crime has taken hold and flourished in our country.
Pervasive ignorance, arrogance and the criminal proclivity of far too many of our people are only accelerants to that fire, not the cause of the fire.
In this medium, we have sought to shed some light on some of those shortcomings, because we understand the critical role police play in successful societies.
And so, for a large sub-section of the Jamaican population, others will inexorably have to advocate for a better Jamaica for them, despite them.
When the Commissioner of Police brings his driver and head of his security detail from the army with him, and that untrained person is made an Assistant Superintendent of Police under the guise that his pay in the JDF was commensurate with the pay he is now receiving as an ASP , they made it about the individual and not about the country and the JCF.
It is corruption, but the rank and file are like disgruntled children who once given a little talking to sulk away and continue with life as children.
Antony Anderson did that talking to recently and Joel Hamilton was instructed to write a letter of apology and all is well now.
In the meantime, the Federation which removed corporal McBeam as general secretary in a powerplay recently was seemingly rebuffed by the courts.
We were informed she will be reinstated, we have not been able to independently verify that reporting.
The Gazetted officers who should have objected to the promotion/appointment of Joel Hamilton on principle have uttered not a single word and have sulked away like little puppies as well.
What they are strong on is cases like the above letter in which a member of the department, who no longer wishes to be in the agency is being told that he cannot leave the force as he desires.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am not a lawyer, but these rules to which the JCF membership are subjected seem eerily unconstitutional. to me.
(1) Six months of advanced notice before resigning.
Rules were not in effect when most of the force joined.
(2) Must give statements to INDECOM immediately after an incident of force.
Rules were not in effect when probably half of the department joined.
(3) How can you constitutionally stop any person from leaving a job they no longer wish to serve in?
Ladies and gentlemen what kind of police officers do you expect to have come to your rescue if they are slaves unable to leave the police department on their own volition?
At the time the JCF decided to institute this 6‑month preclearance rule before resignations I said it was a bad idea. This administration in cohorts with the opposition party is destroying the police department
Creating rules designed to stem attrition is not a solution for stopping attrition.
There is a reason that 50 people leave the Jamaica Constabulary Force each month.
Truthfully, a large percentage of the population does not deserve the sacrifices those young people make on their behalf.
The job is an ungrateful, dangerous, thankless and shitty one which pays peanuts.
Those leaving are making the decision to take their chances elsewhere.
The JCF hierarchy has done some really dumb things, trying to prevent officers wishing to leave from doing so , is right up there with the really dumb things they are doing.