EDITORIAL - Incompetence or corruption?

Just when citizens were beginning to believe that the Jamaica Constabulary Force was undergoing transformation on the way to becoming a professional organisation deserving of their trust, we are digesting the news that an alleged gangster was mistakenly released two days after his capture.

The shame of it all!

The capture of alleged gang leader Christopher 'Dog Paw' Linton and his alleged lieutenant Nicholas Nesbeth was supposed to throw a wrench into the criminal network's machinery of death, if we believe police claims that the Dog Paw Gang was responsible for murder and mayhem in sections of St Andrew.

The baffling release of Nesbeth, from the well-guarded Harman Barracks compound, has raised serious questions. Was it mere incompetence of the policemen, who presumably acted contrary to security procedures in dealing with suspects, or was this a deliberate act?

Although incompetence may be more palatable, both scenarios have serious implications for a country that is trying to rein in crime. And even with glaring examples that public-sector competence is becoming as rare as the Jamaican $5,000 note, the deep lack of trust in the police will likely cause the average citizen to believe that something foul happened at Harman Barracks. Be it incompetence or corruption, the responsible persons ought to be punished to the full extent of the law.

Deadly consequences

It is understandable that Police Commissioner Owen Ellington must be in anguish over this incident because such an act can only undermine the gains which he has been making in recent times. Persons to whom Nesbeth may look for succour in his bid to evade the law should encourage him to turn himself in.

The police are famous for stating that their field operations are prompted by information received. We can only hope that Nesbeth is not out there trying to find out who tipped off the police about his whereabouts leading to his earlier capture. It is chilling to think that this police bungling could lead to a new chapter of brutality.

The public needs to know whether or not this is another egregious example of police corruption. In order to determine the truth, there needs to be a swift and thorough investigation.

Can the police themselves be trusted to take an objective, inward look and produce an impartial account of those events? Will the 'squaddie' culture interfere with the investigations? We cannot answer these questions, however, as more and more stories emerge of police corruption and cover-up. This incident is troubling to anyone who is concerned about law and order. It means that an independent body is required to undertake this investigation in order to peel away possible layers of corruption and incompetence.

Only an independent investigation will suffice, because the public really needs to know how such a monumental mistake could have been made.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.