K.D. Knight (left), National Security and Justice Minister, explains why the Government will not implement the "plea bargain" system as was recommended by the Police Executive Research Forum. With him is attorney-at-law R. Anthony Jenkinson, president of the American Chamber of Commerce of Jamaica. - Dennis CokeBy Glenroy Sinclair,
Staff Reporter
THE GOVERNMENT has accepted all but three of the 83 recommendations made to it by the US-based Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) to reduce crime and violence in the Corporate Area of Kingston and St. Andrew, where most of the island's crimes are committed.
Two of the recommendations are to be implemented immediately and implementation of the others is being discussed.
K.D. Knight, National Security and Justice Minister, said yesterday at a news conference at Le Meridien Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston, that the Government would not disband the Police Mobile Reserve, do away with the independent Police Public Complaints Authority, or allow plea bargaining as an easier way out for some accused persons, as was recommended.
But it would go ahead and decentralise the Patrol Division and train special homicide detectives whose duties will be specific to the handling of crime scenes.
Assistant Commissioner Charles Scarlett said at the news conference that a pilot project is to be implemented within two weeks, targeting the South St. Andrew Police Division.
"A number of cars and personnel will be sent to the division," Asst. Commissioner Scarlett said.
Sources told The Gleaner the division will get 44 additional police personnel, nine patrol cars, six motorcycles and three bicycles. The personnel will also be assigned beat duty.
The Gleaner understands that the project will be reviewed after three months. Up to yesterday evening the personnel who will be taken from the Patrol Division were meeting with Supt. Rose McDonald-Barker, who heads that division.
Asst. Commissioner Scarlett said the police personnel deployed will undergo an orientation course in stress management, human rights and human dignity, firearm training, inner-city code of conduct and knowledge of patrol zones.
Specially-trained homicide detectives will be selected and drafted in pilot projects in the Kingston Eastern, South St. Andrew and St. Andrew North Police divisions. These investigators will concentrate on homicides in their divisions.
According to the PERF report, the current practice of assigning layers of patrol from centralised components, as in the case of the Mobile Reserve, does not encourage constables to direct their energies toward defined beats, getting to know citizens and criminals.
But Mr. Knight was firm against disbanding it. "We recognise there are some changes that could be made to the Mobile Reserve, but we need a unit like this," he said yesterday.
He said Cabinet had also refused to give the green light for the plea bargaining system in Jamaica, as was recommended by the PERF team.
"We fail to accept it at this stage because it is not in our best interest, but we have not closed the door," Mr Knight said.
He expressed concern about the way in which plea bargaining works, saying it could cause some injustice in the system.
The PERF team had strongly recommended the abolition of the independent Police Public Complaints Authority (PPCA). The report said the PPCA does little to impact the quality of service the Jamaica Constabulary Force provides to the public. It said the significance of the authority was best demonstrated by the observation that the Commissioner's office doesn't even respond to the complaints the authority sends there. But the Government rejected the recommendation to scrap it.
"The Government has already committed to the public, to strengthen this body (PPCA). Our move will be to strengthen and not abolish," Mr. Knight said.
He will be meeting soon with executives of the American Chamber of Commerce of Jamaica (AMCHAM), which sponsored the PERF report, to discuss how to implement the other recommendations.
Members of the PERF team visited Jamaica in October and did a preliminary evaluation of violent crime and murders in Kingston. PERF's efforts were funded by AMCHAM. Its objective was to develop strategies aimed at violence reduction.
