Lynford Simpson, Staff ReporterOPPOSITION SENATOR Bruce Golding, wants the Government to state clearly its policy on allowing overseas law enforcement agencies to enter its shores and apprehend suspected criminals.
He made the demand yesterday while making his contribution to a debate in the Senate based on a motion brought by Government Senator Keste Miller.
Mr. Miller, in his motion, lauded the Government for enlisting the help of friendly countries in the fight against crime, and urged Jamaicans to support the latest anti-crime initiative launched by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson on December 1, 2002.
Yesterday, Mr. Golding questioned the level of co-operation between Jamaica and groups such as the U.S. Marshals. After warning that it was too early to measure the success of the latest crime-fighting initiative, Mr. Golding said: "We welcome the co-operation. We need it. And if the U.S. Marshals wish to establish an office in Jamaica we are happy about that provided there is a clear understanding as to what their purpose is here and there is a clear respect for the rights and authority under the law and Constitution of the Jamaican people."
He said he was grateful for whatever intelligence foreigners could provide especially if this leads to the apprehension of criminals. But, he is opposed to foreigners entering and searching premises. "Quite frankly if I saw a Canadian policeman or a U.S. Marshal on my property I would want him immediately arrested for trespass because he has no power under (Jamaican) law," Golding said.
He added that "the U.S law doesn't apply to me and my property and the Jamaican law doesn't give him any power to enter my premises and to either participate in, or to witness the ransacking of my property and my belongings."
This was in reference to the recent search by the Jamaican police of the offices of two prominenet attorneys for documents relating to Canadian national Robert Bidwell who was facing extradition to Canada on drug and money laundering charges. The Jamaican police reportedly searched the lawyers' offices in the presence of Canadian law officials. The search of the lawyers' offices was reportedly an attempt on the part of the local authorities to assist the Canadian Government in its case against Bidwell. The matter is now before the court.
Mr. Golding stressed that he had no intention of discouraging co-operation or to be offensive. "But we must be polite and firm, saying to our partners in the fight against crime that in assisting us to combat crime they must show absolute respect to the Constitution and laws of Jamaica."
Earlier, Mr. Miller pointed to statistics which show that young people were the main perpetrators and victims of serious crime. He appealed to the nation to invest in its children and young people as this was "the best crime prevention measure."
In his contribution to the debate, Delano Franklyn, Government Senator pointed to a homicide rate which jumped from seven per 100,000 in the 1960s to 40 per 100,000 last year. As such he said crime "cannot and should not be dealt with on a partisan basis."
Although noting that politics no longer play a major role in the level of crime in the society, Senator Franklyn urged the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party to demonstrate its commitment to fighting crime by signing the 1997 Report on Political Tribalism.
