THE EDITOR, Sir:
I THINK it is about time the powers that be review the relevance of the existence of Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF). This is the auxiliary force to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and as such should be answerable to the JCF.
In years gone by, we would see the members of the ISCF assigned guard duties at government offices and or perform specialised duties at the stations under the supervision of the JCF.
In recent times, they have been empowered and are now performing sensitive police duties without being supervised by the JCF.
In retrospect, the incident on Wednesday of last week in Half-Way Tree where a woman was severely beaten by members of the ISCF is evident of what I am trying to point out.
My question is, however, can an auxiliary force that was conceptualised as a body to assist the JCF perform on their own?
It must also be noted that the training period for a special constable is far less than that for a regular policeman and therefore the special would not have obtained adequate policing knowledge to perform these duties on their own.
I see evidence of 'specials' (ISCF ) competing with the 'regulars' (JCF) , the fact that they have been kept quiet for such a long time. Now they finally get a chance to showcase their police powers and this is the fruit it bears.
My humble suggestion is, equate the training to that of the JCF and make one body or send them back to their original duties.
Failing that, the force which has come a long way in terms of police-citizen relationship will return to what it was. That we cannot afford.
I am, etc.,
SEYMOUR CHEVANNES
schevannes@hotmail.com
Kingston 20
Via Go-Jamaica
