The Jamaica Constabulary Force is a distinguished body but this is not their finest hour! It started as the parish councils’ (PC) watchman service of the 1830s, morphed into a military entity with rifles to catch firestarters and for “the suppression of tumult” and was under an Act by the Morant Bay Rebellion. Control soon moved from the PC to the governor and the long rifles went.

In the post-war period we had a quality force, proud and trusted. Even the imperious Busta could not sway them. Then we got Independence. British officers were ousted, locals empowered and the service soon declined. Crime grew in complexity; small things unattended grew into the anti-social, then criminal, and soon we had hard-core violence. The JCF reacted inappropriately. It recruited more, less-qualified men, re-armed with a vengeance and became a bully force ripe for corrupting. It grew away from the community and mutual trust vanished. Policemen linked up to JLP and PNP to “curry favour” and they became brutal. Crime spiralled and the roles of thief and police were often blurred. After 150 years the JCF is back where it started, armed to the teeth, with English officers, a lot of muscle, little brain – an occupying force at war with our citizens.

Post-war years

The 1940s were good years for the JCF. The British were in charge, bright men joined with Third Year certificates and others chose librarianship, teaching, nursing, civil service and university. They were the best. Policemen were role models. Despite the pressure of nascent politics and trade unions, the police were steely “peacemakers”. The war ended, the UK Met made changes and rifles disappeared. Each community knew its crooks and the police were informed. The cut of their cloth and shine of their shoes were exemplary. Detectives were suave and brainy. They could run, scale a fence – no big-belly, gun-toting men – they were athletes. We had public order.

Post-Independence

Things changed in these 47 years. The JCF today is the result of an anti-intellectual, self-absorbed, macho-man process. More men, more crime, better guns, worse relations – a volatile cocktail. The quality of police did not keep up with nurses or other vocations at entry or operation levels. What is police work? Some 15 per cent of police deal with murder and criminals and the clear-up rate is shameful. The 85 per cent deal with normal adults and kids about rape, drugs, robbery, violence, incest, trauma, kidnap, financial crime, public order, traffic and professionals in IT, forensics, statistics, admin, fingerprints, PR, community affairs, taking statements and going to court. Who would do better at these duties? A six-foot man with CXCs and six months’ police training or graduates in social work, IT, English, business, economics, psychology, accounting, engineering, law, etc, with six months’ police training? Yes, the graduates! Also, gun club and JDF men are better with guns as they represent Jamaica – the police can’t shoot!

After 1962 the malaise set in. English officers were booted, outside officer recruitment ended – though not in the army. Politicians needed controllable police and did not mind lower standards – brawn over brain. They armed their henchmen, armed the JCF and used both to control the balance of terror. In time the henchmen became their own men, and today we live with garrisons and murder – world without end, amen!

Please note three points: JCF is a backslider. Teachers, nurses, librarians, civil servants advanced and have PhDs in their ranks. The inert JCF has the lowest median entry level and operating staff and this shows in poor detection, high crime, violence and corruption. Two, the JCF is the only failed public service body, yet so “cocksure” it refuses to admit it needs qualified men to deal with good people – which is 90 per cent of police work. It favours macho men. Brainy men were called “soft”, bullied out, placed in immigration or offices and many who studied were derided. Only macho men get on the commissioner track. Three, bright officers bide their time, leverage their experience, gain university credit and become accountants, lawyers and judges – they do not want degrees in police fields. The JCF is unique, officers get degrees not for promotion but to leave – their exit strategy!

The future

The JCF is better paid than other vocations and can recover. Graduate intake and a

two-forces solution can turn things around. Consider these ideas:

*The JCF must return to the community – walk, bicycle, horse, moped, car – and build back trust. An assault rifle sends the wrong signal – it kills good citizens so let’s remove them! Issue shotguns, side arms, bullet and stab vests, instead. The tanks, M16s and WMDs must be placed in the elite force, not our neighbourhood police.

*The elite second force, National Security Bureau, is FBI-type with a civilian chief. It has SWAT teams; superior transport (helicopters), weapons and kit. SWAT is deployed rapidly but not lightly. A marksman is how police best use deadly force. The NSB would cover national security, electronic, international, financial, organised – not street gangs – and police crimes.

*JCF needs police aides. We use legal, nursing and teaching aides. Why not police aides? We have brilliant, vetted persons in IT, psychology, strategy, logistics, etc, who should be sworn in to help the police. The JCF needs help, yet it ignores this resource. Why?

*Graduate entry must be the norm. Nursing, teaching, etc, are teamwork and have ICU and reading specialists – so is policing. A graduate with two years’ field work is no less expert than an officer with 12 years on the job; how to shake down a motorist for lunch money or beat a confession out of a detainee is not in the training manual.

*We need an elected commissioner. Citizens wanted Reneto as they trust him, but their hopes were quashed. The JCF needs its freedom. We need an elected chairman and Board of Commissioners and a career CEO! Citizens suffer when the JCF dances to a JLP or PNP tune. Let’s vote for an independent JCF! Stay conscious!

Dr Franklin Johnston is an international project manager with Teape-Johnston Consultants, currently on assignment in the UK.

franklinjohnston@hotmail.com