Lewin

COMMITTEE MEMBERS examining the six anti-crime bills now before Parliament yesterday sent the top brass of the Jamaica Constabulary Force back to their headquarters for critical data to support their call for increased legislative powers to tackle crime.

Commissioner of Police, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, his deputy, Mark Shields, and Assistant Commissioner Owen Ellington were told by committee members that they could not support the bills until statistics were presented on the issue of bail.

"We have not seen some kind of statistical analysis of how bail is working presently in Jamaica," said committee member, Senator Mark Golding.

He noted that the police have commented on instances where persons who should not have been granted bail received it. However, Golding said hard data was needed to back the claims. In his presentation, Rear Admiral Lewin said the country was now facing a crisis in relation to major crimes.

Guns

The gun, according to Lewin, was the weapon of choice in the killing of 1,249 of the 1,583 persons who died violently last year. He provided similar data for the years before.

Lewin said witnesses were being killed and intimidated by accused persons who were granted bail.

Interim legislation to amend the Bail Act gives the police powers to detain persons without charge for 60 days.

Citing his detention in 1976 during the State of Emergency, committee member Pearnel Charles said he knew how it felt to be held in custody without being charged.

However, Charles said he was prepared to accept the amendment to the legislation to fight the increasing criminal activity in the country.

But Golding warned that it was not desirable to deny accused persons bail for long periods.

He said this could affect innocent persons, and cited problems such as overcrowded police lock-ups.

Shields

Ellington