Forbes
Commissioner Francis Forbes, head of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), proudly cites "tackling the big drug dealers", as one of his organisation's successful major works in progress. In an interview on Friday, April 23, with Lloyd Williams, Senior Associate Editor, he said: "We are well on our way with that. We were able to get the assistance of the international law enforcement community and really advance light years from where we started. The dice are still being shaken so more names will continue to be rolled out. I am comfortable with that."
Q: Do you have them on the run?
Forbes: They will continue to be on the run. There is a mad rush now to change the ownership of assets. The names on titles are being changed; vehicles are being hidden. We will continue to get a flogging publicly that we have no intelligence capacity, and we roll with that. But the truth is that intelligence-wise, we are much more improved than we were even five years ago. The successes we are experiencing now are because of the increased and improved intelligence capacity that we have. Our people are now more highly trained than they were before and are doing the intelligence job at a higher level of professionalism than before. So I am comfortable with that."
The Commissioner was referring to provisional warrants of arrest which the JCF has begun executing on suspects whose extradition to the United States is being sought for trial on drug trafficking and money-laundering charges.
In 2003, a total of 10 Jamaican fugitives were extradited to the United States. A great many more extradition warrants are likely to be executed here by the JCF in coming months, as, according to the March 2004 'International Narcotics Control Strategy Report', published by the U.S. State Department's Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the Jamaican Fugitive Apprehension Team (JFAT) "is actively working on over 200 cases, the majority involving drug or homicide charges." Many of the murder cases are drug-related. JFAT, established in 1999, is assisted by the U.S. Government with guidance from U.S. marshals, specialised training, equipment and operational support.
From the comfort of a sofa at his office at Old Hope Road, Kingston 6, Commissioner Forbes stated some of the achievements and challenges he has experienced since he took over the reins of the JCF in October 1996, becoming at age 45, the youngest (and eighth Jamaican) Commissioner to lead the Force since it was established in 1867.
What's the connection between drugs and crime these days?
Forbes: Some people can't see the connection between drugs and crime in Jamaica, but the connection goes like this: a lot of drug money now is buying guns. Unlike in the old days when the political representative seemed to have had an influence over the gun programme, it's the drugs cartels that really have a control over the guns now. And they are moving the guns as they see fit. So that even in their relationship with the political process it is different because it's like the tail wagging the dog now. The politician can hardly give directions to the drug dealers the big boys. In fact, there has to be a major concern now because we are seeing attempts by the big boys to get involved in politics by way of supporting candidates with a view to influencing political outcome sometime later. So it's really an early warning signal to us that we had better start looking at that relationship. We have seen in some recent elections where there have been definite moves by some 'druggists', some of whom have been under investigation at the international level, to get close to candidates and to let their money do some work. We are very concerned about it.
Have you been picking up new types of guns?
Forbes: Not so much new types of guns, but what has been significant, and I have been speaking to the police about it, is that we recover an average of 500-plus guns each year but this year, from January until now, we have been recovering a lot of brand new guns and it is signalling to us that there is a pipeline that is open and I am just hoping that the new X-ray machines (at the ports) will continue to be successful because they got off to a good start. But, you know, sometimes it is not technology that makes the difference so much as the human element."
Commissioner Forbes then told the story of an imported damaged vehicle which was searched at Customs. Nothing was found in it but Deputy Supt. Cornwall Ford wasn't satisfied and he called in the Caribbean Search Centre, which further stripped it down and found a firearm hidden in it.
Forbes: So, sometimes it's not so much the technology, although it's critical, but the technology goes with the human element equally.
What is your assessment of the dons?
Forbes: Dons are really the people who call the shots in the communities and they are not to be confused with community leaders because you have some very good community leaders who are hard-working people who stay on the right side of the law and, in fact, at times help the police. But dons are into communities to make money and they very frequently use the community as their base for the human resource support that is required to give them status. But, as far as I am concerned, all dons are engaged in illegal activities. That's why they are called dons.
How do deportees figure in the crime equation these days?
Forbes: That is always a challenge to really assess properly and I think that we will not do a good job of that assessment until there is a linkage with the entire justice system. In other words, computerisation should establish a linkage between the police, the courts and the prisons and then we would be better able to track cases. But as it is, there are still a number of incidents of gang warfare that are triggered, and at the heart of which we find a deportee who has returned and has determined that he must take charge again. In the killing of 'Willie Haggart' (William Moore of Arnett Gardens), there is the mention of a role played by a deportee, not in killing Willie Haggart but in coming back, wanting to take over turf. That name is still being mentioned now in areas where there are conflicts. So it is in that type of thing that we find deportees being mentioned today.
What is one of the most persistent problems that is inhibiting the fight against crime?
Forbes: Everybody may have a fair idea that an individual is committing crime and, in fact, in many communities within 24 hours after a crime has been committed, particularly a crime of violence, the name of someone comes to the police but the difficulty in Jamaica is getting evidence that can be taken to court and stand scrutiny. And this is one part that the public doesn't frequently seem to understand. And, of course, because there is a lack of confidence in the Witness Protection Programme, no matter how hard we try, we still don't seem able to convince sufficient 'I saw' witnesses to come forward and to give statements and then go to court.
Are you getting any overseas help with the Witness Protection Programme?
Forbes: CARICOM some three or so years ago gave the job to a task force to develop what it is now calling a Justice Protection Programme, because it is now recognising in this region that judges, lawyers, jurors, policemen anyone connected with the justice system may come under threat. It felt that it should look at something called 'justice protection' rather than 'witness protection', and very recently I was visited by members of that task force and apprised as to where they were now and it seems as if a tremendous gain has been made in that area. But again, the lack of technical support in investigations has been a major problem for us. For example, Scotland Yard came here to help us with this Kraal case and just looking at the limited technical resources that we have was a big surprise to them. By being on the ground here we learnt somewhat from them in terms of their investigative techniques as much as they learnt from us too.
Commissioner Forbes listed another shortcoming.
"I'll just put on the table that the Fingerprint Bill that is struggling through Parliament now is something that the New York Police Department told us that they could not exist without. And the whole system of computerisation and the Automated Finger-print Identification System (used) to search the fingerprints, all those are critical to successful policing. We are yet to get there and these are some of the remaining challenges."
How skilfully have you been able to walk though the political raindrops?
Forbes: It's a dance every single day. Frequently you see some pitfalls, not far in advance, but just when they come into your view and you have to negotiate your way around them. But I can truthfully say that I have been able to maintain my status as a professional policeman and have not become tied into the political arena. Again it is not something that makes one popular but I think the politicians can truthfully say that I have not been swayed in any direction. I stand up and speak to anybody from a professional perspective any day of the week. I am one of those policemen who grew up in the Police Force never having a problem of promotion because of politics.
In his 34 years in the Force, having joined at 19, he has served under successive administrations and has been promoted by both.
Forbes: So I never took this seat with any ill-feeling towards a (political) party because it did me something. No political party in Jamaica has ever done me anything bad and none has ever prevented my progress so I have been able to work with the two sides.
SEE THE FINAL PART IN TOMORROW'S GLEANER.
