Derrick A. Scott, Gleaner WriterATLANTA, Georgia:
JAMAICA IS one of the first countries being considered by the DeKalb County Police high command in Atlanta, Georgia, for the establishment of a police exchange programme with the DeKalb County Police.
This was disclosed by Louis Graham, Dekalb County's newly-appointed chief of police, at his first community coffee hour, held at his office recently in Decatur, Georgia.
Chief Graham, who met with various community leaders and members of the Caribbean media, said that one of the concerns that was brought to his attention was the vast cultural difference that his officers face while carrying out their day to day duties. This is as a result of the large number of immigrants that reside in DeKalb County, he said.
CULTURAL PRECEPTS
The cultural differences were brought home forcefully to the police chief by representatives of the various organisations attending the meeting. An Islamic representative said that cultural differences lead to conflicts between veiled Muslim women and male American police officers.
"Some of them say, 'a man cannot see my face,'" the representative said, noting that Americans find that suspicious though it reflects some of the basic cultural precepts.
Chief Graham said that Jamaica had the largest amount of Caribbean immigrants residing in DeKalb County, hence his idea to establish the first police exchange programme with the Jamaica Constabulary Force.
He said the programme would give his men an opportunity to better understand how to deal with Jamaicans and other Caribbean nationals residing in DeKalb County.
Chief Graham also suggested that Jamaican police officers coming to Dekalb County would benefit tremendously from its advanced police technology.
The Dekalb police chief said he will be meeting with Jamaica's honorary consul in Atlanta, Vin Martin, within the next two weeks to discuss this proposal so that it can be brought to the attention of Dr. Peter Phillips, minister of national security, as well as Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas.
