SUSPICIONS OF sabotage of X-ray scanning machines at the island's ports must be investigated without delay. That can be the only sensible decision after the alarming disclosure in yesterday's Sunday Gleaner.
The allegation has come from David W. Purdy, an American police consultant, who for more than a year, has been adviser to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) on modernising of law enforcement.
Mr. Purdy has come to his conclusion from what he says has been the frequent disabling and non-use of equipment installed to detect the smuggling of contraband, in particular drugs and guns.
These suspicions have been challenged by SSP. A.J. Forbes, who is senior vice-president in charge of security at the Port Authority of Jamaica. Like Mr. Purdy, Mr. Forbes says he has not seen nor heard any solid evidence to support the suspicion of sabotage. Mr. Forbes says also, that the security system at the port involves a chain of activities and persons which would make sabotage difficult; but he concedes that there are those who would do everything possible to blame the system "because they do not want the machines there... preventing them doing the things they used to do..."
Whether "the things they used to do" were legitimate or not is precisely the point in question, and all the more reason why an investigation should be launched. We urge the Government to ensure that this probe takes place if it is serious about fighting crime and corruption at every level in the society.
Since the installation of scanning equipment, there have been official reports of a decline in the incidence of drug couriers being detected before they take flights to the U.K., for example. But as far as we are aware, this is the first reported indication of machinery being disabled and not in use. According to Mr. Purdy, "employees are not being monitored, supervised and held accountable..." This is clearly unacceptable. This concern must be addressed.
Even with the scanning machinery in place at air and sea ports, the statistics of gun killings in particular, remain at alarming levels. This suggests that despite the occasional police recovery of weapons, there are still many guns and ammunition available to the criminal underworld.
If 'Operation Kingfish' is to make a difference at last, the loopholes at the entry ports must be plugged. We must not brush Mr. Purdy's concerns under the carpet.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
