Dogs helping to fight crime
Accused children killer gets free legal services
Head of the Canine Division Superintendent of Police Dalton Wright boasts that the dogs, along with their human counterparts, “have been doing a tremendous job” in helping to fight crime.
“We have found [many] firearms and illegal drugs (such as cocaine and ganja), and we have been doing [various activities] for safety purposes,” Wright said.
He explained that the division also specialises in carrying out search-and-rescue operations, as well as a cadaver service, which involves locating human remains.
“Our cadaver dogs have been working marvellously, in the sense that they have been finding a lot of human remains that are connected to various crimes. So they help in the crime-fighting machinery that we have in
The man accused of chopping his two daughters and pregnant girlfriend to death in Green Island, Hanover, has been guaranteed legal support at the expense of the taxpayers.
Two senior lawyers, Tamika Davis and Delford Morgan, have been assigned to provide representation to Paul Coote.
Hugh Faulkner, executive director for the Legal Aid Council, told THE STAR that an accused person has the right to be treated as innocent unless he has been found guilty. He said, too, that being convicted of a crime can have significant implications for a person.
“A criminal matter can result in incarceration, it can result in a citizen of Jamaica getting a criminal record, it can prohibit training in certain professional disciplines, it can prevent admission to certain disciplines, including security forces, and it can lead to a prohibition in travel and curtail your employment possibilities. If citizens’ employment possibilities are curtailed, then children may suffer,” he said.
Under the Legal Aid Act, the state is obliged to provide highquality legal service to persons who, because of poverty, are in danger of having their legal rights infringed.
“The fact [that] you are without financial resources should not prohibit you,” Faulkner said.
He said that that 80 per cent of the persons who go before the court for murder have to get help from the Legal Aid Council because they do not have the money to hire lawyers.
Coote, 61, works at a car wash in Hanover.
Coote will be represented by the attorneys during the pre-charge process, committal proceedings at the Parish Court, and trial at the Circuit Court level.
Additionally, Coote has been removed from the general lockup population and placed in an area for his personal safety and security.
“Mr Coote is now at location where there is less risk of physical assault,” the legal aid council said yesterday.
Coote is accused of chopping to death Abanique Cunningham, the mother of eight-year-old Jayanna Coote and four-year-old Shanique Coote. Cunningham was eight months pregnant. Jamaica and will continue to do so,” he said.
There are 61 highly trained dogs in the division.
NUMEROUS ARRESTS
Between January 1, 2011, and April 21, 2018, the division’s numerous operations led to the arrest of 193 foreigners and locals.
“The persons were arrested for breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act, and the cases were brought before the court and disposed of,” Superintendent Wright said.
There were 224 drug detections, including cocaine amounting to 378.7lb; marijuana – 8,480.47lb; hashish – 292.75 ounces; hash oil – 656 ounces; and liquid cocaine – 14 quarts.
Also, during the period, the division seized cash totalling $328,505 in local currency and US$32,520. Two motor vehicles were also seized.
In 2015, the division carried out 48 operations that led to the discovery of 117 weapons and several rounds of ammunition. These included 116 A1 rifles, one Smith and Wesson handgun, fourteen 5.56 cartridges; three .38 cartridges, 53 nine-millimetre cartridges and two nine millimetre magazines.
In terms of search-and-rescue operations, in 2016, the canines were instrumental in recovering the bodies of two American missionaries in a shallow grave. The men were allegedly murdered in St Mary.
“The drugs, firearms and ammunition found were sent to the Government Forensic Laboratory for testing... (and) the contraband was destroyed in accordance with force policy,” Superintendent Wright explains.