By Leonardo Blair, Staff Reporter
His full name is Reneto DeCordova Valentino Adams and he's proud of every syllable. A familiar sight in dark glasses and army fatigues most people either love him or hate him. But Jamaica's best known cop says he's just doing his job. - Carlington Wilmot /Freelance Photographer
HIS 'INTELLIGENCE' tells him he is a wanted man in the underworld. It also confides that there is a $21.6m bounty out on his head, with a promise of lifetime security to the lucky hunter.
Already, there have been many threats on his life, and some have even been acted upon but Senior Superintendent (SSP), head of the Crime Management Unit Reneto Adams remains 'fearless.'
"I have on record that I have been threatened 69 times, some of those threats were actually activated and none so far has in a practical way been successful. My latest intelligence so far is that US$450,000 ($21.6m) is on my head," says SSP Adams.
The 'wild-west' SSP who grew up on a steady diet of cowboy movies in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, also explained that his prospective hitmen have been informed by their contractors that, "even if you were to be going for that man (Adams). No less than 20 of you should go."
"But I am not in any confrontational mood," says the crimefighter. "I am obliged to protect myself, my colleagues and the society."
It's Wednesday and we are sitting inside the waiting area of the Commissioner's office minus his action-hero get-up. No visible guns or signature shades. Later, he'll be joining his colleagues in the room next door for a social-call but for now there are no bars here.
Sporting a dapper grey suit and a sharp haircut revealing flecks of grey, SSP Adams knows he'll have to retire in a few years but he plans to climax his career with a bang. The 53-year-old has plans to write three books after he puts up his guns and he'll be telling all. The publishers are already lining up, he says.
"I'm gonna speak the truth in every one," he says. "If I had done anything wrong, if I was unfaithful to my wife, I'm gonna write that. If I have ever taken bribes in the police force, I will write that also. Not to say that I have, but I am just making you aware of how explicit those books will be," he says.
Even though he'll be telling all, the controversial crime fighter, who has been highly criticised for his unorthodox crime fighting tactics, says there will be no odes of regret for anything he has done in his wildly colourful career in his books.
"I never thought that I might have been sorry for anything I might have done, not at all at that particular time in history, anything I might have had to do, it was necessary at the time, and that was the best solution I could have applied."
After shooting his way to fame through his leading roles in the infamous Braeton and West Kingston incidents and other less celebrated crime fighting operations, this somewhat unassuming personality became a legal, lethal, gun-slinging superhero to some and a constant bother to criminals. There is no one phrase that can describe this enigma of a man but many persons bring him to mind whenever they hear the jocular "Tivaarli" drawl.
SUPERSTAR
The man whose approach to crime has been described as sometimes kamikaze, has attracted an unofficial fan club which sends him "many, many" letters and whenever he makes public appearances usually ends up signing a few autographs. The attention he says has been "intense."
"I have found that especially women and older folks are quite impressed with what I try to do," he says with a bit of reserve. "Day and night. Older women, middle-aged women, very young women. Many autographs, many a letter, many invitations."
In fact a householder with whom Flair spoke was passionate in her support of Adams.
"I want to trust the police, but it takes no effort for me to trust Adams. I feel safe having him around. If someone is breaking into my house, and I call the police, I want Reneto Adams to show up," she said.
Although he admits to being quite the ladies-man and finds them a refreshing topic, SSP Adams has been very careful with his many suitors of the fairer sex; partly because of his 'intelligence' and out of respect for his wife.
"As a matter of fact, why I'm so careful is that it has also come to me by way of intelligence that the criminal underworld has plans to lure me along with beautiful women to go to places in order that they can kill me," he says. "I am always looking out for the Delilahs and the other persons who behave in that fashion."
The man who has been a fan of cowboy movies since childhood is also careful about his style on the job. Many have questioned the method behind his get-up. Image for him, he says, is a huge part of his crime fighting plan.
"Yes, the shades, rings, the clothing, the outfit, the mannerism, the deportment, it is quite psychological, it goes a little bit beyond that also which I might not divulge at this time, but it has to do with
operating on the minds of criminal elements," he admits.
WEST KINGSTON EXPERIENCE TRAUMATIC
It was no surprise after his numerous allusions to the West Kingston episode when he explained why this was the one incident which moved his usual resolve to be fearless to one of apprehension.
Calling it the most traumatic experience of his professional career, SSP Adams says, "although I have gone through many, many serious police operations where my life was on the line, this one is the only time that I have ever felt that this was the concluding moment as it relates to being a policeman.
"I was a little bit apprehensive. Not scared, not frightened, never about to surrender but it was intense and it was the most challenging."
He feels, "quite remorseful" about the people who died in that incident. His thoughts on death, for someone who has killed many times in his career is rather ironic.
"Death," he says with an uneasy laugh, "I think it's the most degrading and most insulting thing that can be visited upon mankind, but it is also necessary."
He does not believe in popular religion and despite claims of his detractors, says he has never carried out a personal killing before. After a casualty on the job he says, "I go home with my friends and my family and so on, I am again Reneto Adams, not a man who has just killed anybody, I don't see it that way. You should not be held responsible in a personal way for any result of your action that was legal."
Though he believes in God, SSP Adams has also redefined religion and man's relationship with God. He believes the way religion is practised in Jamaica is a deviation from what would best serve the interest of believers.
"I am not one who believes that if I am sick I must pray to God. I am not one who believes that if I need a house I must pray to God. I am not one who believes that if I needed protection I must pray to God. If you want to be secure then you must put strategies in place, work towards securing yourself and after you have achieved then that's the time you pray to God and say 'thanks'," says the SSP.
"I don't believe in people going around as I have seen them doing, praying that crime will go away. If you continue to do that then crime will only multiply," he added.
He believes in keeping enemies at bay. He subdues his enemies before they have a chance to attack. As soon as he gets wind of criminal activity, he swoops in and clears it out before it gets the chance to fester.
In the meantime though, even though he knows there's a huge price tag on his head he chooses to be free, because he knows he is ahead of the game.
"I feel as if I am the freest of men, I don't allow anything to deter me from having a good life every day," he says.
It's now on to the next room where he'll probably sip some champagne.
