At left, Forbes
Leonardo Blair, Staff Reporter
THE JAMAICA Constabulary Force (JCF) has booted 118 of its members for misconduct, in the last three years, and another 170 are waiting on the rulings of the relevant disciplinary bodies of the JCF to determine their fate.
The figures, say senior officers in the JCF, are a reflection of Commissioner of Police, Francis Forbes' hardline approach to misconduct in the force.
Among the broad charges levelled against policemen under the misconduct label are abuse of and disrespecting the rights of citizens, serious assaults and jailbreak, accidental shootings, insubordination and overstaying on vacation.
"He (Commissioner Forbes) is not taking it lightly. The punishment he is meting out is very severe," says Superintendent Alvena Ewan, personnel officer in the Commissioner's office, an observation made also by Superintendent Ionie Ramsay-Nelson, head of the Constabulary Communication Network.
"He is bent on rooting out the unprofessional people in the force," she said, "We all make mistakes but the unlawful use of power, disregard for people's right, the disrespect shown by some for human rights and the unnecessary use of excessive force, he is not tolerating."
Commissioner Forbes was not available for comment but Superintendent Ramsay-Nelson said, "One of the things that I know is of grave concern to those of us who manage the force, is those who are involved in crooked activities and I know that special efforts are being made to root them out of the organisation."
RECORD TIME
Investigations of cases are being conducted in record time, she said, adding that a senior investigator had been sent to the Bureau of Special Investigations, an arm of the force established to probe complaints against members.
Superintendent Ewan said, "We have to date some 170 files for persons who have misconducted themselves and these cases are to be tried. They are before a court of enquiry panel across the island."
Just last week Deputy Commissioner Lucius Thomas said the Police High Command intends to introduce contents of the Code of Conduct for Police and Citizens into the syllabus of the Jamaica Constabulary in a bid to clean up their image in the eyes of international human rights groups.
A few days later on Friday last, however, according to the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN), yet another policeman, stationed at the Ferry Police Station in St. Catherine, was ordered interdicted with immediate effect by Commissioner Forbes. The CCN said he allegedly used a Toyota Hiace minibus to hit another police corporal on traffic enforcement duties. The injured policeman was admitted to hospital with a fractured right leg and dislocated shoulder.
"We are concerned about the whole aspect of accidental shootings, members being disrespectful to the general public, being disrespectful to senior officers and corruption. People are being dismissed," said Sergeant David White, chairman of the Police Federation. "If a policeman believes that he can just go around acting in just about any way he pleases he has something coming. The Commissioner has put his foot down. He is not accepting any of this (misconduct)."
Of the 170 officers now awaiting rulings, 114 of them are on interdiction while the remaining 56 are on suspension according to police records. Some 35 officers received criminal convictions for offences committed over the last three years but it is not certain how many of them are actually serving sentences.
The Sunday Gleaner understands too that among the 517 who left the force between 2001 and 2003, are some who resigned when they realised that charges would be laid against them.
