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If the police are to gain respect.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The anti-corruption unit in the police force really has its work cut out for it. In fact, based on our knowledge of some of what the members of that unit are put through by others in the constabulary, we are very sympathetic to their plight.
However, we are in full support of their efforts to expunge from the police force those men and women who, by their deeds, have dishonoured their pledge to serve and protect the Jamaican people.
Indeed, it is those corrupt cops who are preventing their honest colleagues from achieving greater success against crime, as people with information about crimes opt to remain silent for fear that their security will be compromised.
That is an image that many in the police force are trying hard to improve, and all well-thinking Jamaicans should embrace that effort, as it can only redound to the benefit of the country.
Over the years, we have had reason to discuss, in this space, atrocities committed by the police, in much the same way that we have voiced support for some of the constabulary's anti-crime policies. In this instance, we again raise the issue of police corruption against the background of the actions of the police against two journalists - Mr Julian Richardson of the Observer and Mr Ricardo Makyn of The Gleaner.
In Mr Richardson's case, he was accosted by two policemen at approximately 5:00 am on Saturday, February 14 on his way home and presented with a demand for refreshments in exchange for their dropping what was obviously a trumped up charge of blocking traffic.
Mr Richardson's refusal to yield to this very common act of corruption - to which many motorists can attest - and his declaration that he would report the policemen to their superiors, resulted in him being subjected to verbal abuse and threatened with death.
Eventually, for his brave and commendable decision to stare down corruption, Mr Richardson was charged with obstructing traffic, having no park light on his car, obscured licence plate, and using indecent language.
Mr Makyn's experience, though not as chilling as that of Mr Richardson, was an example of bullying by the police.
Mr Makyn, we are told, was covering the fatal shooting by the police of a man who was accused of stealing a cop's phone in Half-Way-Tree last Friday afternoon.
According to the Gleaner report of the incident, Mr Makyn was standing outside an area cordoned off by the police, snapping photographs of the crime scene, when a cop in plain clothes approached him and demanded that he stop taking photographs.
"An argument then developed during which, the photographer says, he was shoved, twice," the report said. Mr Makyn was then taken to the Half-Way- Tree Police Station where he was charged with using abusive language to a police officer; assaulting a police officer; and disobeying the instructions of a police officer.
Given our knowledge of both Mr Richardson and Mr Makyn, we can state, without fear of contradiction, that the policemen involved in both cases are lying through their teeth.
These spurious charges no doubt are rooted in egotism and an entrenched culture of abuse of authority that have resulted in the suspicion with which large numbers of Jamaicans view the police.
It is that culture that the police need to change if they intend to gain from the public the co-operation for which they often appeal and the respect that their office truly deserves.
Mr Richardson's exposé in this newspaper of his encounter has, we know, angered some members of the police force to the point where a subtle message was sent to the Observer that since the newspaper is playing hardball, so will the police. Our response to that is, as long as the police are doing their job, and doing so professionally, they will get no flak from us. However, we will not remain silent in the face of corruption, neither will we ignore the fact that the cops who threatened to shoot Mr Richardson couched their warning with the reminder "We know where you live
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The anti-corruption unit in the police force really has its work cut out for it. In fact, based on our knowledge of some of what the members of that unit are put through by others in the constabulary, we are very sympathetic to their plight.
However, we are in full support of their efforts to expunge from the police force those men and women who, by their deeds, have dishonoured their pledge to serve and protect the Jamaican people.
Indeed, it is those corrupt cops who are preventing their honest colleagues from achieving greater success against crime, as people with information about crimes opt to remain silent for fear that their security will be compromised.
That is an image that many in the police force are trying hard to improve, and all well-thinking Jamaicans should embrace that effort, as it can only redound to the benefit of the country.
Over the years, we have had reason to discuss, in this space, atrocities committed by the police, in much the same way that we have voiced support for some of the constabulary's anti-crime policies. In this instance, we again raise the issue of police corruption against the background of the actions of the police against two journalists - Mr Julian Richardson of the Observer and Mr Ricardo Makyn of The Gleaner.
In Mr Richardson's case, he was accosted by two policemen at approximately 5:00 am on Saturday, February 14 on his way home and presented with a demand for refreshments in exchange for their dropping what was obviously a trumped up charge of blocking traffic.
Mr Richardson's refusal to yield to this very common act of corruption - to which many motorists can attest - and his declaration that he would report the policemen to their superiors, resulted in him being subjected to verbal abuse and threatened with death.
Eventually, for his brave and commendable decision to stare down corruption, Mr Richardson was charged with obstructing traffic, having no park light on his car, obscured licence plate, and using indecent language.
Mr Makyn's experience, though not as chilling as that of Mr Richardson, was an example of bullying by the police.
Mr Makyn, we are told, was covering the fatal shooting by the police of a man who was accused of stealing a cop's phone in Half-Way-Tree last Friday afternoon.
According to the Gleaner report of the incident, Mr Makyn was standing outside an area cordoned off by the police, snapping photographs of the crime scene, when a cop in plain clothes approached him and demanded that he stop taking photographs.
"An argument then developed during which, the photographer says, he was shoved, twice," the report said. Mr Makyn was then taken to the Half-Way- Tree Police Station where he was charged with using abusive language to a police officer; assaulting a police officer; and disobeying the instructions of a police officer.
Given our knowledge of both Mr Richardson and Mr Makyn, we can state, without fear of contradiction, that the policemen involved in both cases are lying through their teeth.
These spurious charges no doubt are rooted in egotism and an entrenched culture of abuse of authority that have resulted in the suspicion with which large numbers of Jamaicans view the police.
It is that culture that the police need to change if they intend to gain from the public the co-operation for which they often appeal and the respect that their office truly deserves.
Mr Richardson's exposé in this newspaper of his encounter has, we know, angered some members of the police force to the point where a subtle message was sent to the Observer that since the newspaper is playing hardball, so will the police. Our response to that is, as long as the police are doing their job, and doing so professionally, they will get no flak from us. However, we will not remain silent in the face of corruption, neither will we ignore the fact that the cops who threatened to shoot Mr Richardson couched their warning with the reminder "We know where you live
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