Hamilton
PUBLIC DEFENDER Howard Hamilton Q.C. made his first report to Parliament last Tuesday. In it he examined a number of issues that his office has dealt with over the last year, including police excesses, the conditions of police lock-up and the plight of the mentally ill languishing in prison. Below are excerpts of the recommendations contained in the report.
Recommendations
That the proposed policy outlined in the Corporate Strategy of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), which offers a friendlier face to the community it is sworn to serve and protect, is to be encouraged in an effort to win back the trust and respect of the nation it once enjoyed.
That particular emphasis be made in sensitising the entire force, especially the Community Service Unit, in the handling of the mentally ill, as well as reports of domestic violence.
In order to achieve improved morale in the police force, urgent attention be given to ensuring that the working and living conditions of members of the Force are at least adequate and a programme established to ensure that every police officer on completing 10 years service, will be assisted in owning his or her own home, however humble.
That in light of the overcrowded conditions, especially in the police station lock-ups, the contemplated use of tracking bracelets be expedited to assist in the granting of bail.
That the present system of producing to the court, persons originally unfit to plead but subsequently declared fit, be revised and streamlined, as it is antiquated and there is no communication between all the relevant parties and should be viewed by all concerned as a matter of extreme urgency.
That delinquent fathers, whether married or unmarried, be recognised as a principal factor in the upsurge of delinquent youths (especially male) both in schools and on the streets.
That the police bullet proof vests as well as payments of outstanding death-benefit claims be treated with the urgency they deserve.
The alarming rate of killings by, and of, the police, continues to be a source of ever-increasing alarm to the nation; giving rise to, a widening distrust of, and lack of sympathy for the police.
Further, the persistent recourse of a police party to the use of deadly force when confronted with solitary resistance is a source of both incredulity and distress, and demonstrates the need for renewed training in the use of firepower. It is, therefore, vital that the confidence of the public in the police force be restored and towards these ends I recommend:
The establishment of a high specialised Scenes of Crime Unit, with a Paramedic Team, on call, whose sole role will be to ensure that maximum efficiency is brought to crime detection, with special emphasis on the sterilisation of a crime scene, the identification and retrieval of evidence, especially in cases involving the security forces.
That all police personnel below the rank of Sergeant be required to attend refresher courses in the use of firearms, with the emphasis on shooting to maim, when resort to the use of a firearm becomes necessary.
Finally, in the Government Service, retirement age is 60 years for both sexes (see Section 6(2) of the Pension Act). Employees in the private sector also retire at age 60. The Housing Trust refunds total contributions at age 65 for both sexes (subsection (2) of Section 19 of the National Housing Trust Act). The question has been asked "Are men victims of discrimination under the National Insurance Scheme?" By Section 10(2)(a)(b) of the National Insurance Act, the retirement age for women is 60 but 65 for men.
It is therefore, recommended:
That the National Insurance Scheme be brought in line with the other Agencies - either age 60 or age 65 for both sexes.
