Attorney pushes for greater citizen effort in exposing corrupt cops
Published: Friday | March 27, 2009
Jenni Campbell, The Gleaner's managing editor, hands attorney-at-law Bert Samuels a plaque in recognition of his Silver Pen Award-winning letter of the day as Garfield Grandison, Gleaner Editor-in-Chief, looks on, at the newspaper's North Street, central Kingston offices, yesterday. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Attorney-at-law Bert Samuels says citizens need to be more vigilant in exposing police abuse and corruption.
The Gleaner's Silver Pen awardee, in receiving his prize at the company's North Street offices in central Kingston yesterday, said that exposure is important if justice is to be served.
"We need to get more people to use their cameras and their camera phones," the well-known defence attorney said.
He added that, once they know they will be caught and justice will be served, then rogue cops will be forced to think twice.
"Deterrence is catching," Samuels told The Gleaner.
He, however, argued that the system also needs to be adjusted if rogue cops are to be brought to book.
"You can't have the police investigating the police," he stressed, noting that the situation created a conflict of interest.
Samuels was awarded the Silver Pen for his letter dated January 13, 2009, titled 'Public confidence and police shoot-outs', in which he tackles the issue of police use of force. The letter was prompted by a January 7 shooting incident in Lodge, St Ann, that left a baby, a cop and three others injured, after the police opened fire on the victims who were occupants of a motor car.
