The Editor, Sir:

I doubt whether many of your readers will be surprised by the results of the latest Bill Johnson opinion poll on the honesty of the police and government employees. I expect that if you asked about the integrity of employees in most walks of life you would obtain fairly similar findings. The perception I found among Jamaicans four years ago is that Jamaica is a disappointingly dishonest nation from the top to the bottom. Bribes, dishonest dealings and abuse of position were perceived to be too frequent.

I was surprised, during one training workshop with detectives, to listen to the majority of the participants argue that they were so badly paid that they had no option, but to resort to extortion and to the suggestion and acceptance of bribes. The good things to come out of the discussions were the willingness of the officers to discuss the subject and to be challenged about their behaviour and culture; and the securing of knowledge among the Commissioner's Strategic Coordina-tion Unit, leading the commissioner's efforts to modernise the force, that much more needed to be done.

From a distance here in the United Kingdom, Novelette Grant and her team have moved honesty and anti-corruption initiatives centre stage. The commissioner and his senior colleagues have openly stamped their determination to arrest corrupt officers.

More purposeful approach

In the early 1970s in the Metropolitan Police in London, police corruption undermined the efforts of the vast majority. It was changed significantly by a reforming Commissioner, Sir Robert Mark and his senior colleagues, when the discussions about integrity became open and enthusiastically debated in police canteens. The high-profile arrest of some corrupt detectives achieved by a different and more purposeful approach to investigative journalism by the Times acted as a tipping point. The endeavours of the force were supported by a more challenging judiciary, a more inquisitive and concerned public and a long overdue pay formula that reinforced the endeavours of honest police colleagues.

Police corruption is, unfortunately, ever present. The culture of the police throughout the organisation needs to be right to minimise temptations. A passion for honesty needs to supported by effective processes. Although the modernisation programme recognised the need for culture change, this was not driven with the same purposefulness nor resources as other aspects of the programme. Efforts to change the culture were undermined constantly by the continuous movement of local commanders and a hesitancy to hold command teams accountable for the performance of their staff.

Learning from outside

The recruitment of an assistant commissioner from outside to head the Anti-Corruption Division, building on the efforts of Novelette Grant and her team, and widely advertised this week in the U.K.'s Police magazine, could potentially bring further change. Ultimately, however, since this issue has been around the JCF for so long, I suspect lasting change will only come about when Jamaican society leans less upon the black economy, less upon the drug market and the proceeds of crime and when a higher proportion of those with paid jobs have the courage to stand up and say no to dishonesty and easy ways of avoiding responsibility for their own actions.

I am, etc.,

ROBERT DAVIES

rdmd@btopenworld.com

Project Leader of the

DFID-funded

JCF Modernisation Programme

2000-2003

24 Searle Street,

Cambridge

Via Go-Jamaica