Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter
Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas (left) with Assistant Commissioner Glenmore Hinds, head of Kingfish. - NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
WITHIN THE next four weeks, another crime-fighting unit is expected to hit the streets of Jamaica, searching for perpetrators of vicious crimes committed across the island.
The new unit has been named the Major Investigation Team (MIT), and will comprise some of the finest and skilled detectives of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). The unit will operate under the umbrella of Operation Kingfish, headed by Assistant Commissioner Glenmore Hinds.
"This is part of the reform and modernisation process of the police force," Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas told The Gleaner yesterday.
He explained that detectives assigned to this unit will assist members of the Criminal Investigative Bureau (CIB) with investigations at the divisional level, in relation to serious crimes.
EASE BURDEN
This should ease the burden of the divisional officers, some of whom have more than 20 cases probing simultaneously.
Between March and April 2001, more than 10 senior detectives drawn from divisions islandwide, completed a course in Major Investigation, conducted by law enforcement agents from the United Kingdom.
The course was conducted at the Police Staff College in Twicken-ham Park, St. Catherine.
Among the participants were superintendents Wilford Gayle, Terrence Sanko, Acting Deputy Superintendents Michael Phipps and Meveral Smith and retired Inspector Cecil Thompson.
MERGER OF OPERATIONS
In the meantime, Commissioner Thomas has confirmed a plan to merge the Homicide Division with Operation Kingfish. Reports are that this will become effective next month.
Operation Kingfish came into being in October last year, targeting gangs and drug smugglers. Prior to that, the then Commissioner of Police Francis Forbes had named the Organised Crime Investigation Division to replace another elite team, the disbanded Crime Management Unit.
Apart from these teams, there is also the Special Anti-Crime Task Force which has been around since 1992. It was formerly the Anti-Crime Investigation Detachment.
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