Prime Minister Bruce Golding has told Jamaicans that Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin has been assured that he has the "full backing of the Government" in his role as the island's police chief. Now, it is for the members of the constabulary to assure the commissioner that he has their support.

Implicit in Mr Golding's statement to Parliament on Tuesday, some might argue, is that Admiral Lewin was, hitherto, uncertain that he had the necessary support of the administration, which would have influenced his decision to tender his resignation on Sunday - which he has since withdrawn. Indeed, there is suspicion that influential people, if not directly in the Government but with their hands on the levers of power, were orchestrating efforts to see the demise of the police commissioner. The disenchantment of career police officers - some of whom may be angry at Lewin's efforts to clean the constabulary of corruption and inefficiency - that an outsider was parachuted to the top of their organisation, is known and obvious.

Rising crime

In the circumstances, in the context of rising crime and what had appeared in some quarters to be finger-pointing at the police by Mr Golding, Admiral Lewin apparently felt that the moral thing to do was to take responsibility and go; even if only after six months. We sensed no cant in the commissioner's declaration or action.

There are, though, unintended good con-sequences of Admiral Lewin's move - apart from the fact that he was persuaded to reconsider. It concentrated minds and seems likely to deliver concrete action.

It is hardly a secret that Admiral Lewin has been making a stern effort to reform the police force, in the face of both passive and gritty resistance of the old guard. There are those in the force who fear change itself; it disrupts comfort levels. Others assume that implicit in any reorganisation of the constabulary is a statement that they were incompetent, ineffective or corrupt. And, for some, a broken system suits their ends.

Mr Golding has announced that most of the recommendations of a strategic review of the constabulary will be implemented. The administration is seeking consensus from the Opposition.

The findings of the survey, the PM says, will be discussed with key stakeholders, including the representative groups within the constabulary. The executive summary is to be published in the force orders.

Stakeholders

We will welcome these developments, especially if they lead to the creation of a modern, efficient and accountable police force, for which Admiral Lewin has clamoured. We insist, though, that the publication of the executive summary is not good enough.

The stakeholders include the wider Jamaica, to whom the constabulary ought to be accountable. The review, therefore, should be tabled in Parliament and made available so that all of us can comment on it. Perchance there is in it very highly classified information, this can be redacted.

Among the most critical developments from Admiral Lewin's action is Mr Golding's announcement of planned legislative changes "to strengthen the capacity of the police to apprehend those engaged in violent criminal activity ... and keep them off the streets". We await with great anticipation the proposed legislation, hoping that it will mirror some of the non-mainstream suggestions now being debated here for dealing with the terrorists in our midst. Mr Golding may just be getting the message.