By Glenroy Sinclair, Staff ReporterDAVE PURDY, newly-appointed adviser to the Office of the Commissioner of Police (OCP), says if community policing is done the right way, it could have a greater impact on crime in Jamaica.
"It is a philosophy of how we respond to and work with the public. This is not just public relations. It deals with community issues," said the 53-year-old American who took up his appointment as consultant on April 1.
Mr. Purdy, a law enforcement development officer, will be assisting with the implementation of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) recommendations into the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).
While community policing is considered as "soft policing" in some cities across the United States, Mr. Purdy insisted that if done right, it could help the police receive more information.
"The police will have to trust the public, and members of the public in turn trust the police," Mr. Purdy said in an interview with The Gleaner yesterday morning. More than a year ago the Jamaican Government accepted 83 recommendations that were submitted by the Washington D.C.-based group (PERF), to address the country's crime problem.
Among the more imaginative recommendations was the construction of a model police station in the Grants Pen area of St. Andrew, which should serve as a centre for community-based policing. Born and raised in Florida, Mr. Purdy said he was not here to dictate what is to be done.
"My role is to define what the recommendations are and then build a foundation," said Mr. Purdy, who has a Master's degree in Public Administration, and a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice.
He will be also advising the Office of the Commissioner of Police about the various donor programmes and matters relating to management and deployment issues. Mr. Purdy, who is on a three-year contract with the JCF, has vast military/police experience, having worked extensively in various services in the USA.
In an effort to further assist Jamaica's crime-fighting capabilities, the United States government had made available over US$500,000, to underwrite the employment of two advisers to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).
