Edmond Campbell, Senior News Coordinator

Thompson ... headed the JCF strategic review team.

The committee which was set up to review the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has recommended a raft of radical changes to improve the organisation.

The proposals include: a name change to the Jamaica Police Service; mandatory security vetting and polygraph (lie detector) tests, starting with senior cops; increased accountability and professional development.

The 86-page document released by the Ministry of National Security, yesterday, listed 124 recommendations to reform the JCF over a three-year period.

Not yet accepted

It said the Government would need $5.268 billion to implement all the recommendations. But, speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Prime Minister Bruce Golding said all the proposals have not been accepted by the Government.

The members of the JCF strategic review team chaired by the president of the Northern Caribbean University, Dr Herbert Thompson, said corruption was endemic in the force and noted that it had to be tackled with urgency.

The report said it was paramount that the police high command be free of corruption. In addition, it proposed a random, sample-based vetting of middle managers in the force to send a clear signal that corruption will not be tolerated.

"Those not vetted as part of the extraordinary exercise will be 'under notice'. There will be dire consequences for anyone involved in corrupt behaviour," it said.

Disciplinary actions

In terms of disciplinary actions against police personnel, the review team said there was a significant backlog of 500 cases, many dating back to 2000.

The review team said it had learnt that there were numerous instances in which promotions were granted to police personnel despite "blemished records and outstanding disciplinary rulings".

It also revealed that despite evidence presented to incriminate some police personnel, the JCF was less than diligent in submitting files to the commissioner of police, the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the director of public prosecutions.

"In fact, the PSC reports that despite the hundreds of cases of police breaches over the last four years only four files have been received from the Commissioner of Police requesting the PSC to advance disciplinary sanctions," a section of the report noted.

Key recommendations contained in the report on the Strategic Review of the JCF

Merger of the Police (Civilian Oversight) Authority with the Police Service Commission (PSC) to form a single management oversight body.

Redefine the relationship between the Ministry of National Security and the PSC with regard to their relative responsibilities for planning and holding the JCF to account for its performance.

Establish a performance contract between the PSC and the commissioner of police, setting out objectives and targets against which the commissioner's performance will be evaluated.

Disband the Police Public Complaints Authority and merge its functions into the proposed Independent Commission for Investigations.

Initiate a comprehensive review of the JCF discipline system to bring it in-line with modern practices combined with immediate effort to eliminate the backlog of discipline cases.

Establish a more robust senior decision-making framework and structure, with current arrangements reorganised into a senior executive committee (comprising the commissioner and deputy commissioners).

Divest some non-core functions, such as the guarding and transporting of prisoners and fleet management and repair.

Implement a rigorous programme of using civilians to perform non-police functions.

Key findings of the strategic review of the JCF:

Corrupt practices have become endemic in the JCF:

contract killings and torture

engaging in or with criminal organisations

extortion

perjury

alerting criminals of JCF plans for interdiction

failing to attend court as a witness

planting evidence or removing it from crime scenes

tampering with exhibits

trafficking in weapons

theft, including seizures made by police (e.g. narcotics)

sale of favourable inspection reports for bars, clubs etc.

dropping of charges, including for serious offences; payoffs for road traffic offences

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com