Dennie Quill, Contributor

Had there been a prize for the most ridiculous news item of the week, the police in the East Kingston division would have been on the shortlist for the award. According to a newspaper report, a senior officer from that division has disclosed plans to pay special attention to sections of Bull Bay, specifically Bobo Hill or Rasta Hill, where the police believe wanted men are hiding out.

Hello? Is this a signal for these wanted men to pack up and run? Could this be a smart strategy to flush them out of their holes? It boggles the mind that the police would want to announce operational plans for Bobo Hill or any other hill?

It is understandable that the police are anxious to demonstrate to a frightened citizenry that they are dedicated to the task of improving public safety by slashing the murder rate and swiftly apprehending criminals. With this in mind, it is conceivable that some imprudent officers may unwittingly give away too much. However, if premature disclosure of police plans or strategy could result in alerting criminals and thus thwarting police efforts to apprehend them, the media ought to exercise good judgment when reporting on such matters. In this fight against the criminal element, we all have a part to play.

Police communications division

There was a time when members of the police force were not allowed to disclose even the most innocuous information to the media at crime scenes or during the course of investigations. The media serving as the eyes and ears of the people, pressed for better communication, greater transparency and the result is that a police communications division was born which placed more information in the open. There is an obvious effort to install communications officers at stations across the island and greater openness in public affairs is welcomed. But it would be naïve to think that the police would tell all and not shield sensitive information from the public.

One may ask: What is sensitive information? I believe that would include information about operational approaches, impending targets and raids, strength of teams, calibre weaponry of raiding parties etc.

Lately, I have noticed a worrying trend of police officers giving the public much more information than is necessary. Take the case of the two policemen who were gunned down in Trench Town on Labour Day. The police keep alluding to the fact that the citizens have been cooperating with them, or that the citizens have provided good information. And lately, in the murder of the JUTC chairman, we are told that persons have been cooperating. In the face of overwhelming evidence that witness intimidation is entrenched in inner-city communities, are such utterances putting informants and innocent persons at risk?

People who come forward with information expect that the police will act on it in furtherance of their investigations and they expect their identities to be protected. After all, the criminals have a good idea who the informants might be, and there is a culture of 'see and blind, hear and deaf' in inner-city communities to the point that informers are often marked for death.

Greater scope for cooperation

There is greater scope for cooperation than conflict between the police and the community. But to engender that spirit of cooperation the relationship has to be built on trust. And maintaining confidentiality is crucial in preventing reprisals against informants. Even in the face of rank criminality and attacks on the police there are examples of rogue colleagues who have leaked information to criminal elements for money. Their actions have served to tarnish the image of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, with the result that scores of people have a lukewarm attitude towards the police and are reluctant to share information with them.

It is going to take a concerted effort to win back the people's trust. However, I submit that the public need not be drawn into the police war room. It is not necessary for them to share information that is operational, strategic or technical in nature to achieve their objectives. The majority want the police strategy to work, they want to see substantial improvement in community safety and service delivery, but do not really care how it is achieved.

Send feedback to denniequill@hotmail.com or columns@gleanerjm.com.