Orville Taylor

I would not want to be a policeman now. For that matter, I certainly would not desire to be a policewoman during this period either.

Since the beginning of the year, there have been countless attacks on the police resulting in six fatalities. In January, our men and women in red stripes were pinned down in the notorious Mountain View area and one of my television colleagues, a red-stripe man of another sort, flattened his belly for the first time since high school as he dodged bullets and filed his report in between Hail Marys and Our Fathers.

If memory serves me correctly, this is so far the most homicidal year for Jamaican police personnel on record, and the assaults against our cops are relentless. The last one hit 'close to home' as Detective Corporal Dave Daley met his demise in Brooke Valley, Duhaney Park.

details

The details of this particular incident are still only just gelling, because as usual, the accounts of the 'eye witnesses' and the police, differ. What is not in dispute though, is that Daley had a confrontation with men, known to him and the driver of his bus, who live in the area and 'grow mongst dem.' Provoked by the 'dis' from one of the young men who were allegedly extorting his employee and the throwing of stones that followed, he pursued him into the dark passageway, despite warnings from onlookers and an attempt physically to restrain him.

When the screams had ended, two bodies lay on the ground, including that of the provocateur, with gunshot wounds to the back and the corporal with multiple injuries all over his body. The police investigators will piece together the details but I cannot help but wonder if this could have been avoided.

What could have been in the mind of the policeman to pursue a suspect, whose whereabouts he knows, into the dark? If he felt that the alleged extortionist was dangerous, then why not call backup?

Furthermore, if there was enough reason to suspect that the felony of obtaining money by menace was committed, why not arrest him backed by a cadre of serious armed cops later? It is tempting to think that it was an act of anger or bravado or an unrealistic reliance on the 23rd Psalm while traversing the valley of death.

Could the dispute not have been mediated given that the driver lived (I suspect that he has now de-camped) in the community and would have to deal with the consequences of any allegations of police excesses? After all, Brooke Valley is not an unarmed community and as with the murdered elderly couple suspected of 'informing' to the Admiral Town police, he could have been placed in mortal danger.

discretion

From my little knowledge of policing, I have come to understand that discretion is the better part of valour and one should always be alert and use judgment. Police training manuals give clear guidelines as to how to deal with most situations and inasmuch as I mourn with his family and the rest of the constantly traumatised constabulary, I have to take the opportunity to remind the other members of the force, who are never off duty, that there are reasons why rules and procedures are given. They are designed to protect both the police and the citizens.

More than any other time in our history, the police must be cautious while following rules and guidelines, as only a disciplined force will function efficiently and elicit the level of cooperation with the public that is necessary. As wonderful as the recruitment drive is to increase the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to around 12,000, the greatest allies in the fight against crime are the citizens who respect and believe that the police are overall good and uphold the law.

Ironically, some of the worst enemies are within. Since the beginning of the year, one policeman tried to be 'dappa' but now ends up a 'con'. Another 'jumped' to a sad conclusion and could not 'ditch' his pursuers who eventually arrested him. One of the murdered cops had a cloud of criminal suspicion over his head and was allegedly killed by his cronies when a deal went sour.

Less than two weeks ago, a policeman allegedly tried to cover up an attempted firearm robbery by his son, who, unlike the television character for whom he is named, seems to like guns. Now, just last week, a policeman was being sought in connection with the lottery scam in western Jamaica, which has apparently led to the murder wave which took the lives of a media colleague and another policeman.

investigations are continuing

Apart from that indirect impact on the lives of their colleagues, it even appears that some police are directly contravening the law and putting them at risk. Even as this column is being written, investigations are continuing regarding a policeman who is accused of fondling a policewoman at gunpoint. Such an action, if it occurred, whether proven or not, is despicable. Even when Buju Banton sang of such reprehensible behaviour in his Haffi Get Yu Tonight, that is repugnant, much less a guardian of our peace and law.

Finally, as I get to the bottom of this article another, set of allegations surfaced about the 'miss-treatment' of suspected homosexuals in Tropical Plaza by members of the JCF. The men suggested that the police, while protecting them from a homophobic mob, enraged over their reported assault of a woman, also abused them.

Although the police are under stress, we need to get back to basics because they are mostly good and need our support.

Dr. Orville Taylor is senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work at the University of the West Indies, Mona.