Garth Rattray
THE STORY that you are about to read is true. All the nameshave been changed to protect everyone's identity. I don't want to berate the police force because I have deep respect and sympathy for our many hard-working and self-sacrificial policemen and women. However, a few are destroying the force and endangering citizens with their apathy, incompetence and/or dishonesty; their actions must be exposed.
Maria, was successful in her application for a supervisory position at a popular Kingston establishment. Soon after she began working, she received death threats over her cellular telephone. Someone anticipated being promoted into the position offered to her and was sorely disgruntled. Maria's new job required her to record her cellphone number but it was accessed for nefarious purposes.
Maria reported the threats to the Superintendent in charge of the police station near to her home on June 12, but he told her that there was nothing that he could do because she could not provide the name of a suspect! She visited me one week later and related her frightening tale of woe. I called the office of the Commissioner of Police and was told (by a no-nonsense sounding officer) to instruct her to speak with Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Booker(who worked somewhere downtown).
On June 20, DSP Booker directed Maria to report the matter to the police station near to her workplace before visiting him. She followed his instructions and met with him on June 24. She made a formal report directly to him (as the officer attached to a special unit for such matters). He took her cellular telephone for evidence and for investigation.
FRUSTRATION SETS IN
He promised to run tests on it to ascertain where the calls originated (which is a simple thing to do). She was told that her cellphone and information were passed over to another police officer, Cpl. Domino, who in turn gave everything to a Superintendent of Police (SP) Winkler.
Time passed and Maria made several calls to SP Winkler but was told that: (1) hurricanes Dennis and Emily prevented him from carrying out the required tasks to trace the calls and investigate the threats, (2) he was gone on leave - so, although her life was in danger, all investigations being handled by him came to a screeching halt, (3) DSP Booker failed to provide some important information.
Maria became frustrated and asked DSP Booker to return her telephone - it was only then that she was told that they were "unable to locate her phone and the information provided". Maria has since resigned that job and moved on - sans cellular telephone.
It is clear that the police involved were incredibly nonchalant and careless in handling Maria's cellphone and information. Perhaps someone from inside or from outside the police station stole it. Perhaps corruption was involved. The police know all too well that death threats are often carried out. This case represents a total failure to serve, protect and reassure a potential murder victim who entrusted her life to the system. Maria didn't take matters into her own hands; she followed established procedures and sought the assistance of the police. If she had stayed in that job we could be reading about her gruesome murder and wondering about the motive. Some would even speculate that she was "mixed up" in something.
FREEDOM TO KILL, AGAIN
And so, another criminal goes free to terrorise or kill someone else. That no-nonsense officer at the Office of the Commissioner of Police knows about this case. I expect him to investigate it and severely reprimand those involved. This sort of thing perpetuates incompetence and corruption within the force and severely undermines the campaign against crime and violence.
Until every case is given high priority and every victim is treated as if he/she is rich, powerful and important, citizens will distrust the system and withhold vital crime-fighting information. Many will not co-operate with the police and some will seek: alternative governance (from dons/area leaders) or alternative "justice" (from thugs). Many will kill or be killed and the destructive culture of violence, mayhem, murder and retaliation permeating our society will continue.
Dr Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice.
