McGreggor

Superintendent of Police Steve McGreggor says it would be foolhardy for Jamaicans to believe that some members of the St. James police are not involved in criminal activities.

"It would be foolhardy to think that there won't be some police who are involved, even intimately involved in bandoolo or as much as criminal activity, but you need to have the evidence to take action against them," said McGreggor, the divisional commander for St. James.

"There are persons out there that will call, claiming to have proof of the involvement of members of the force ... in criminal activities, but when you invite them to come in with the evidence for us to take action they refuse," he added.

Last year, in a series of Gleaner stories called 'The dark side', members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) confessed to being involved in criminal activities, sometimes at the insistence of their superiors.

Last December, former commanding officer for St. James, Superintendent Warren Clarke, told The Gleaner that 16 policemen attached to the St. James Division were arrested on corruption charges over a 20-month period.

This followed the arrest of two constables based in Montego Bay in connection with the illicit lottery scam operating extensively across western Jamaica.

Lottery scam

The policemen were taken into custody on allegations of confiscating $97,000 from two key players in the lucrative, but deadly 'lottery' scam without arresting them. The cash was reportedly recovered from the policemen.

"Since taking command of this division, three policemen have been arrested and charged for corrupt activities, and there have been internal disciplinary measures against a lot more, but if we are to put a complete stop to this scourge, our citizens need to help us," said Supt. McGreggor.

Former Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas who demitted office in October, was known to have publicly commented on the level of corruption within the JCF. He has, on more than one occasion, called for the police commissioner to be given the powers to take disciplinary action against police personnel suspected of being involved in illicit activities.