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<span style="color: #000099"> Cops go home - 223 officers made inactive as a result of suspension or interdiction
Published: Friday | May 15, 2009
Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
LEWIN
More than 200 members of the already understaffed Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) are currently sidelined because of suspensions and interdictions.
The cops were slapped with the punitive measures for charges stemming from breaches of the Anti-Corruption Act, assault and simple larceny, among other violations.
Figures provided by Karl Angell, communications director, show that 114 cops are now serving suspensions while another 109 of their colleagues have been interdicted.
Early last month, 18 cops were interdicted by Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, commissioner of police, for their alleged involvement in the St James lottery scam. The commissioner accused the cops of "deliberately" recruiting and planting a fake cop at the Mount Salem Police Station in St James to assist with their illegal activities.
Suspended cops get no pay, while those interdicted receive only three-quarters of their salary.
Angell argued that the number of cops on suspension and interdiction was nothing to write home about when it was juxtaposed against the fact that the JCF has a complement of 8,500. With a constabulary that size, Jamaica, at 274:1, has the lowest ratio of police personnel to citizens in the Caribbean.
Saddened but ...
"Of course, we are saddened at every interdiction and suspension but we do not live in a perfect world - 223 is not bad when you compare," he said.
Angell added that the hierarchy of the JCF was working assiduously to reduce the number of suspensions and interdictions.
Head of the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN), Sonia James-Thompson, deputy superintendent of police, explained that suspensions were handed out to police personnel who had been implicated in criminal acts not committed in the line of duty.
James-Thompson pointed out that after investigations were carried out, a file on the incident would be sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
On the other hand, a member of the JCF is interdicted if implicated in a matter that occurs while on duty, the CCN boss explained.
James-Thompson also believes the figures representing those on suspension or interdiction were not alarming. She believes it tells another story. "It shows that the force has been active in the pursuit of matters relating to the misconduct of its personnel."
She added: "It is evident that the guilty parties are being disciplined. It also shows that there is an effective process that can weed out corrupt individuals and persons who break the law."
[email protected]
While many of our 8,500 policemen and women are working hard at protecting Jamaica, over 200 of their colleagues have made their jobs that much harder.
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oohh no, this is devastating news...one, cause dem a bad cops and 2, cause dem a go now create havoc pan de poor ppl dem,
Published: Friday | May 15, 2009
Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
LEWIN
More than 200 members of the already understaffed Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) are currently sidelined because of suspensions and interdictions.
The cops were slapped with the punitive measures for charges stemming from breaches of the Anti-Corruption Act, assault and simple larceny, among other violations.
Figures provided by Karl Angell, communications director, show that 114 cops are now serving suspensions while another 109 of their colleagues have been interdicted.
Early last month, 18 cops were interdicted by Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, commissioner of police, for their alleged involvement in the St James lottery scam. The commissioner accused the cops of "deliberately" recruiting and planting a fake cop at the Mount Salem Police Station in St James to assist with their illegal activities.
Suspended cops get no pay, while those interdicted receive only three-quarters of their salary.
Angell argued that the number of cops on suspension and interdiction was nothing to write home about when it was juxtaposed against the fact that the JCF has a complement of 8,500. With a constabulary that size, Jamaica, at 274:1, has the lowest ratio of police personnel to citizens in the Caribbean.
Saddened but ...
"Of course, we are saddened at every interdiction and suspension but we do not live in a perfect world - 223 is not bad when you compare," he said.
Angell added that the hierarchy of the JCF was working assiduously to reduce the number of suspensions and interdictions.
Head of the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN), Sonia James-Thompson, deputy superintendent of police, explained that suspensions were handed out to police personnel who had been implicated in criminal acts not committed in the line of duty.
James-Thompson pointed out that after investigations were carried out, a file on the incident would be sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
On the other hand, a member of the JCF is interdicted if implicated in a matter that occurs while on duty, the CCN boss explained.
James-Thompson also believes the figures representing those on suspension or interdiction were not alarming. She believes it tells another story. "It shows that the force has been active in the pursuit of matters relating to the misconduct of its personnel."
She added: "It is evident that the guilty parties are being disciplined. It also shows that there is an effective process that can weed out corrupt individuals and persons who break the law."
[email protected]
While many of our 8,500 policemen and women are working hard at protecting Jamaica, over 200 of their colleagues have made their jobs that much harder.
</span>
oohh no, this is devastating news...one, cause dem a bad cops and 2, cause dem a go now create havoc pan de poor ppl dem,