10-point plan for next commissioner of police
IWROTE to this newspaper on October 12, 2016 in response to Professor Anthony Clayton’s article titled ‘Wasting millions – Professor: Weak management leading to huge financial losses in police force’ (Gleaner, Wednesday, October 12, 2016).
In that piece, Professor Clayton wrote that during a review of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) resources, “members of the review team were surprised by the pushback from members of the JCF seeking to frustrate the reform process”.
In my letter supporting Professor Clayton’s view, I wrote that I did not find the pushback surprising because, despite the work of some excellent police officers, resistance to improvement and reform in the JCF is not a new problem.
Over the last two decades, many millions of US dollars have been donated by the taxpayers of Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States to help Jamaica modernise the JCF. They have sent police officers, consultants, cash, equipment, provided training and many other resources.
However, there remains a deep-rooted culture in the JCF that resists all interventions, no matter how helpful. It takes the form of the belief that ‘we are the only people who understand policing in Jamaica’, and ‘good or bad, we look after each other’.
Given the pressures that the JCF is under, this attitude is understandable. But it is this same attitude that is now preventing proper policing and allowing the country to go to ruin.
We have just – yet again – started the weary process of looking for yet another commissioner. Whoever can be persuaded to take the post will inherit all the same problems that faced the last half-dozen commissioners.
We do not need another strategic review. There have already been a number of strategic reviews. Professor Clayton’s 2015 Organisational Review of the JCF is particularly useful. It lists all the serious problems that afflict the JCF, sets out the solutions with clarity, and provides a good basis for fixing the force. The problem is that few of these reviews, reports and recommendations have been properly implemented.
Surely, it is now clear to everyone that sacrificing a commissioner of police every couple of years will never, and can never, solve the problems with crime, corruption and violence in Jamaica. The force needs fundamental change in its organisational structure, a significant increase in its budget, and proper reforms of its operations. Without that, nothing will change, and the revolving door leading to the Office of the Commissioner of Police will continue to spin.
We must break out of this pattern of guaranteed failure. So I would like to offer my 10-point plan to anyone thinking about applying for the toughest job in Jamaica.
THE PLAN
1. Immediately introduce high-visibility policing on every major road intersection and in every crime hotspot. Make people feel safe by taking back the streets of Jamaica from the criminals and antisocial elements who can now break every law without any fear of being held accountable.
Redeploy every able-bodied police officer who currently sits behind a desk and put them out in the high-crime areas. Fill the administrative desk jobs with suitably qualified members of the civil service who do not require operational policing skills or the powers of a police officer.
Make police managers lead by example and manage their staff. There is no place for deskbound senior officers; they should be on the streets, providing visible leadership to their subordinates. If they are unwilling to lead from the front, the new commissioner must find real leaders who are prepared to take up the challenge. 2. The phrase ‘zero tolerance’ has become a cliche, but it is still true. The new commissioner must ensure that every infraction is challenged and, where necessary, prosecuted. Every Jamaican and visitor to Jamaica must see that if you break the law, there will be swift and severe consequences. Clifford Blake, acting commissioner of police, is arrested by the attention of Angela Patterson (left), director of corporate services of the JCF, and Superintendent Velma Thomas of the Community Safety and Security Branch after the handover of a printer and AC unit to the JCF from the Chinese Embassy last Friday. 3. Establish permanent police Re-establish daily crime checkpoints at strategic hotspot operational meetings points on every major road leading chaired by a senior officer to into large towns and cities in drive the response to tackle any Jamaica. Equip them with immediate crime threats. Use CCTV and an automatic licence secure video-conference facilities, plate recognition (ALPR) system. and don’t make your senior Support this with welltrained officers waste thousands of teams conducting hours travelling to and from mobile stop-and-search checkpoints meetings at the commissioner’s with officers with body office.
7. cameras, equipped to search for Rebuild the JCF Murder firearms and other contraband. Investigations Teams Create a policing environment (MIT). In the last 10 years, the where criminals constantly feel capacity to investigate murders vulnerable and law-abiding has been all but dismantled – citizens feel safe. and the results can be seen in 4. Within the first month, the carnage on the streets. interview every senior officer Immediately start the process of and make an assessment on recruiting, training and equipping whether they are fit for purpose. detectives, and establish Make the tough decisions early. MITs in St Andrew, St Focus on building a strong, Catherine, Clarendon, St James, trustworthy and reliable top and Westmoreland and Hanover.
8. team. Send the message that Establish a DNA strategy. police officers must either perform Take every opportunity to or leave. Any officer who link criminals to their crimes by cannot perform, is incompetent, using DNA evidence. Take a linked to corruption or in any DNA swab from every person other way is not fit for purpose arrested for a legally justifiable should be rapidly retired in the offence, and compare this DNA public interest. sample with the thousands of 5. Immediately start the unidentified samples taken from process of developing the crime scenes. Make the results strategic skills of 10 high-potential of this work public so that criminals police officers. Form partnerships see that they can no longer with police services in hide.
9. Canada, United Kingdom and Build the JCF’s capacity to the United States. Send the use intelligence to target future leaders on six-month secondments the gangs. Establish dedicated abroad. This will build proactive gang teams in every up a strong pool of talented officers, division, with strong links to the any of whom could be the people engaged in social intervention next commissioner. and community work. 6. Maximise the use of technology, Look at the successful anti-gang rebuild the intelligence strategies developed in capacity of the JCF, and Glasgow, London, Boston and focus on intelligence-led policing. other cities, and develop equally effective tactics for Jamaica. 10 . Recruit a team of experienced advisers and senior police officers from other police services to work with the top team in the JCF. Their goal should be to ensure that these ten priorities become embedded into the JCF’s operational and cultural fabric.
The JCF has long been resistant to change, and reluctant to accept external support. The international partners are growing weary of the pattern of failure and increasingly reluctant to throw yet more resources at a failing force. However, all of this could still be put right.
The USA, UK, Canada and EU could still be persuaded to muster one last effort to support change. With a talented, forceful new commissioner, an outstanding top team, and a binding commitment to deliver far better outcomes for Jamaica, our allies will step up and give us the support we need.
Let us hope that the next commissioner has the skills, courage, resilience and charisma to implement this plan. Let’s all give that commissioner our support.
I