Corrupt Police comes clean

[Sinco01]

Re: Corrupt Police comes clean

LETTER OF THE DAY - Confession sets stage to 'clean up our house'
published: Thursday | December 28, 2006


The Editor, Sir:

Please allow us to express gratitude to you for the courageous reporting of the policeman's confession. It is time for the healing of our land and that must begin with truth in order for justice to prevail.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa has inspired many across the world to seek the same relief from guilt and shame. It has inspired some of our own people of good conscience to call for such an expression of the making of a righteous nation. Without help from the policy makers, God is pricking people's consciences to make confession so that they can be free of the burden of guilt that wickedness and corruption impose upon the human psyche.

As you have begun by this very courageous article to set the stage for us to clean up our house, Jamaica must now see this as a first step to the healing of us all and make the way for every 'jack man' to come clean and make restitution. In this way we can start over and build a nation exalted by righteousness instead of continuing to live in one disgraced by corruption.

This is a move of God that has spurred this confession, because only God's spirit can move us to rid ourselves of the burden of a guilty conscience, through confession, repentance and restitution.

May God continue to bless your medium as you by your reporting inspire us to take the uncompomising paths confessing and righting the wrongs we have done as a precursor to fulfilling our demand for justice. It is the way to rescue our nation from the wicked perversion of the 'infama yuh fi dead' mentality which is in direct contravention to the laws of natural justice. It is the way to save 'Jamaica land we love' in 2007 and preserve our generations "so that Jamaica may under God, increase in beauty, fellowship and prosperity and play her part in advancing the welfare of the whole human race."

Thank you once again for this revolution of righteousness in our media. What a wonderful New Year's gift of hope to our beloved land!

I am, etc.,

YVONNE O. COKE

[email protected]

Founder/Managing Director

Hands Across Jamaica For Righteousness

14-1/2 Half-Way Tree Road

Kingston 5

Via Go-Jamaica

[wolmersboy]

Re: Corrupt Police comes clean

Good post!

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

It seems like the police hierarchy are beginning to move in the direction of cleaning up the Force. Stay tuned...

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Corrupt Police comes clean

[ QUOTE ]
Good post!

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

It seems like the police hierarchy are beginning to move in the direction of cleaning up the Force. Stay tuned...

[/ QUOTE ]

I would not be so certain about any of the two points you made?

[Sinco01]

Re: Corrupt Police comes clean

<font color="red"> Afraid to come back home </font>
published: Saturday | December 30, 2006

The Editor, Sir:

I read your article in The Sunday Gleaner dated the 26 December. I am a Jamaican living in the United Kingdom, and I am afraid of coming back to my country of birth due to the corruption of the policemen and women who should be protecting the decent law-abiding citizens of our beautiful country.

I was in Jamaica last year spending holiday with my wife who was visiting the island for the first time. I was about to do a right turn off Hope Road, which is lawful as there were no signs saying no right turn, when two policemen pulled up alongside us saying I cannot turn there.

I asked why, he then said if I turn there, he would charge me. When he heard my wife's accent, he pulled me one side and demanded $15,000 or I would be spending the night in jail. I gave it to him and left the island the following day as my wife became nervous and afraid to go out.

It is time the Government of Jamaica take a firm and positive step to weed out the corrupt policemen and women who are giving the decent, hard-working and honest police a very bad name.

Not only did I give him the money, but our car was searched and dug up properly. He did not find anything.

With the money in his pocket, they both drove off leaving us to put it back together, which took us awhile to do so.

Jamaica will never see us again due to the embarrassment of two corrupt officers.

I am, etc.,

ANTHONY COWAN

[email protected]

London

[wolmersboy]

Re: Corrupt Police comes clean

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Good post!

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

It seems like the police hierarchy are beginning to move in the direction of cleaning up the Force. Stay tuned...

[/ QUOTE ]

I would not be so certain about any of the two points you made?

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess I will have to be the self-appointed optimist on this thread... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Corrupt Police comes clean

[ QUOTE ]


I guess I will have to be the self-appointed optimist on this thread... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]
I think so I am not hopeful!

[Sinco01]

Re: Corrupt Police comes clean

Corruption confession won't change anything
published: Monday | January 8, 2007





Garth Rattray

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070108/cleisure/images/Layout1_1_PRFXTGarthRatAM.jpg

On December 24, 2006, The Sunday Gleaner pub-lished the confessions of a corrupt cop. Readers (from here and abroad) expressed shock and outrage, while others related that they were not surprised. Several congratulated this newspaper for being brave enough to publicise the problem of corruption within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

Thankfully, the vast majority of our police are decent, dedicated, honest, patriotic and hard-working citizens. It's because of them that 'the confession' came as no surprise to me. My many patients, acquaintances and friends within the JCF have spoken of such things (and far more) in graphic chilling detail. They are embarrassed, disgusted and frustrated by the actions of their corrupt colleagues, but are powerless to do anything about it. Reporting corruption can have dire consequences.

The National Security Minister's statement, "As it stands now, we can protect anyone who comes forward with information in relation to the JCF", and the planned whistle-blower legislation is fine in theory. However, fears of ostracism or worse yet, becoming the victim of a 'fatal shooting incident' on the streets or of an 'accidental firearm discharge' inside a guardroom are real.

Making the problem worse

The constabulary is not unique; many other governmental depart-ments are tainted by corruption and complicity. Corruption compromises our security, costs lives and erodes our economy. The problem is more devastating when it involves upper echelon civil servants; not only do they set a bad example but the effects are far-reaching - sometimes international.

Corruption is facilitated by convoluted red tape, lengthy procedures and exorbitant fees/taxes. The same goes for inflated traffic fines, deducted points and motor vehicle seizures for relatively minor offences. High fines deter law-breakers and add to our coffers, but they also increase the income of rogue cops. Electronic ticketing won't help this situation, sting operations will. We need traffic school for offenders and less imposition of punitive fines.

If someone exceeds the posted speed limit by up to 10 kilometres-per-hour (that's just 6 miles per hour), and a traffic cop 'offers' to accept a 'contribution' for saving the driver some of the $5,000 fine and two points off his/her driver's licence, not many could resist 'helping themselves' out of that situation. And, if a wrecker driver offers to return a vehicle for a fee which would save thousands of dollars and an entire day of rigmarole, which among us would turn down such 'magnanimity'?

Price for speaking out

Regarding organised and/or violent crimes; the police and private sector interests are making it easier and sometimes financially beneficial for people to report those criminal activities. However, eyewitnesses and victims still shun the courts because many have lost their lives in the pursuit of justice. This is why a lot of people remain silent and why vigilante justice and extra-judicial killings occur.

Some will find The Sunday Gleaner exposé on police corruption disturbing, but it's certainly nothing new to the powers-that-be. The problem persists because we haven't tackled the basis for it. Greed plays a role in corruption, but so does insecurity. I'm not being placatory but, the needs of our police are no different from the average Jamaican. They need physical and financial security, good educational oppor-tunities for their children and affordable and accessible health care.

Okay, one corrupt cop anony-mously confessed something that everybody already either knew or heard about - don't hold your breath for change. We Jamaicans lack sustained resolve, so, like many other important newsworthy disclosures, this too shall pass. It will soon blow over and everything will get back to 'normal'.
Dr. Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice.