By Balford Henry, News EditorFOLLOWING WEDNESDAY'S report in The Gleaner about the need for a one-way mirror to aid Mandeville crime fighters, an offer has been made to provide a new one, but the parish's commanding officer, Superintendent George Quallo, now says that they will also need a room to accommodate identification parades.
Superintendent Quallo said that since the report, he had received a call from a businessman in the Kingston/Spanish Town area, who wanted to donate a one-way mirror to the station. But, he conceded, there would still be a problem even if the mirror is obtained.
The problem is that there is no area of the station which would be ideal for the purpose of identification parades: "Based on what I am seeing, we would have to either build a room or do some serious alterations and I am not sure that the current structure can facilitate that kind of alternation," he explained.
Superintendent Quallo also promised to enquire into the disappearance of a mirror which the Mandeville business community claimed yesterday that they had donated to the station from 1993.
Concerns over the one-way mirror were raised at Tuesday's Gleaner Editors' Forum held at the Golf View Hotel, Caledonia Avenue, Mandeville, to discuss economic and social problems hampering the town. It was attended by a large group of people from various sectors of the community.
The parish's crime chief Deputy Superintendent of Police, Franklyn Mitchell, had told the Forum that many witnesses were afraid to point out criminals to their face, but were willing to co-operate with the identification parade if a one-way mirror was used. However, there is no such mirror at the Mandeville station and the police have to compete with their colleagues in St. Elizabeth and Clarendon to use the only one available in the area, which is at the Black River station.
But, according to the business community, following appeals from then Commissioner of Police, Colonel Trevor McMillan, and businesswoman Jean Anderson, a one-way mirror, as well as a refurbished room, to be used for identification parades, were donated to the Mandeville station by them in 1993.
"I donated a 21 feet wide by six feet high mirror in an aluminium frame," said Harry Chin-Hing, owner of Central Glass and Mirrors. Asked what had become of it afterwards, Mr. Chin-Hing said that all that he could recall was that about three years he was told by the police that the room had to be removed as it was located at the back of the station and was not ideal for the purpose.
Asked what happened afterwards, Mr. Chin-Hing responded, "I have no idea. They took it down."
Mrs. Anderson, who had organised the appeal for the local business community to assist in setting up the identification room with the mirror, said that she was surprised when recently someone was held up in her driveway and witnesses had to travel to Black River for identification parades.
The 1993 appeal was assisted by local businesspersons, including Jackie Minott and former Custos Gilbert Allen, who contributed tiles and cement; Albert Mitchell of Mitchell, Elliott and Associates, who did the tiling of the room; and Mr. Chin-Hing who donated the mirror and the frame from his warehouse.
The Gleaner's records show that while addressing a meeting of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce at the Mid-Way Mall in Mandeville in 1993, Colonel McMillan appealed to the town's private sector and the community to assist the police in whatever ways they could. He said that the main problems facing the force included transportation, accommodation and shortage of equipment in some areas, including proper identification parade facilities.
The call was relayed to the business sector by Mrs. Anderson and Mr. Chin-Hing offered to donate the one-way mirror. Mr. Minott and Custos Allen offered to provide the tiles and concrete to refurbish a room to be used for the identification parades and Mr. Mitchell agreed to provide the workers to do the refurbishing.
The Gleaner understands that the donations were made and the room was refurbished and handed over to the police, equipped with the mirror.
Superintendent Quallo said that he only learnt about the refurbished room yesterday, while on his way to one of their courtesy week functions. He said that it was the first time he was hearing about the mirror and he had no idea where it could be. However, he said that he would investigate the matter.
