By Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer 
Headly
FOR MORE than 30 years, Bernard Headley has studied the psyche of the Jamaican criminal. With that kind of experience, the University of the West Indies professor says he is qualified to comment on the dynamics of this country's underworld.
Last Monday, Professor Headley, a lecturer in criminology in the department of sociology at the UWI, disclosed the findings of a report sponsored by the Washington D.C.-based Homeland Security which concludes that deportees do not factor significantly in this country's homicide rate, which has accounted for over 3,000 lives since 2002.
SERIOUS CRIMES
The study examined 12,036 deportees, with an average age of 23, over the period 1997-2003. Of that amount, 63 per cent were reportedly convicted in the U.S. for serious crimes most of which were drug-related. Professor Headley led the research which was done with UWI colleagues, Professor Michael Gordon and Andrew McIntosh. Last week, as the revelations of the Homeland Security did media rounds, he told The Sunday Gleaner that he has no reason to doubt the agency's data which countered several 'myths' about Jamaica's notorious deportee population.
"They (deportees) are generally identified as criminals because they are linked with dons and criminals, and that needs to be looked at," he said. "A lot of them were deported because they violated the terms of their visa, like staying too long (in the U.S.), or green card holders failing to report their whereabouts."
Some at Monday's press conference, including another UWI professor, Barry Chevannes, were sceptical regarding the homicide figures and called for further investigation into that section of the report. Professor Headley said he, Gordon and McIntosh will re-assess the homicide statistics. There is a popular belief among Jamaicans that the average deportee went to the United States at a very young age, got involved in crime during their teens and were sent back to Jamaica after serving time in prison. However, the Homeland Security report found that most of the persons sent back to Jamaica went to the U.S. in their late teens.
POLICE KEEPING TABS
Despite the passage of the Deportee Bill 10 years ago to monitor the movement of deportees, the Jamaica Constabulary Force says keeping tabs on them remains difficult. Professor Headley describes this as 'bull'.
"The police here are just not doing their work. You think a serial killer could be released (from prison) in the United States and people don't know where they are, much less law enforcement?" he asked.
Professor Headley believes Jamaican police can get an accurate picture of deportee involvement in crime by using a simple method.
"When they arrest and charge someone, they can ask if that person was ever deported... why are they not collecting that? They have it in Trinidad," he pointed out. "If we get three or four (police) stations doing that here we'd have a wealth of information."
Born in St. James, the 58-year-old Professor Headley studied sociology at Andrews University in Michigan and Howard University in Washington DC. For more than 25 years he lectured in criminology at Atlanta University and North-eastern Illinois University.
