EDITORIAL - JCF ejecting corrupt members

Reports of dismissals, forced retirement, sidelining and arrests indicate that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is making headway in weeding out the trash that has polluted its ranks for too long.

We accept that even with the hard work of its ethics committee and the resolve of the commissioner of police, the JCF may not altogether stamp out corruption because it is based on human weaknesses and motivations, but we applaud the latest efforts to reduce the occurrence of corrupt actions and mitigate their harm to innocent citizens.

First, there has to be an acknowledgement that there is a problem with corruption, then there has to be the willpower to deal with it decisively; it also requires marshalling resources to advance this type of work and, finally, there has to be citizens' support for the JCF. The consequences of police corruption are grave and far-reaching and a threat to national security. Commissioner Ellington understands that, and has vowed that there will be no turning back as the purging will continue.

Police misconduct

The alleged rape of an exotic dancer by policemen in Portmore is the most recent police scandal to erupt in Jamaica. The country was in shock to see television footage of condom wrappings and other items which seem to support allegations that a crime had taken place at the club. But there have been plenty examples of police misconduct over the years, including murder, drug-dealing, planting guns at crime scenes, tampering with evidence and perverting the course of justice, and plain robbery.

The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), which is at the forefront of the effort to stamp out corruption in the JCF, recently disclosed that some 60 members of the police force were arrested for alleged corrupt activities last year. This is more than the figure for 2009. And according to the ACB, that is not the total picture of the action taken against rogue members of the JCF.

Senior Superintendent Selvin Hay of the ACB disclosed that about 137 police officers were refused re-enlistment last year. Additionally, 50 others were dismissed or retired in the public interest. The onlooker may wonder whether this means that efforts at stamping out corruption in the JCF are getting better or worse.

Because of the clandestine nature of this activity, it is difficult to estimate how widespread it is, but one thing is certain, the willingness of members of the JCF to corral their own for wrongdoing appears to be strongest at this time and is in sharp contrast to years of slow and inadequate responses to charges of police corruption.

Major goal

Commissioner Ellington has identified eliminating corruption as one of his major goals. But the battle against corruption cannot end with the JCF. After the house cleaning at the JCF, the commissioner must turn the spotlight on other bribe-taking public officials and dishonest business people.

Every citizen who is concerned about fair policing and justice can become part of this ambitious battle against corruption by reporting all such acts that they may witness.

We note that next week Jamaica will host law enforcement officials from across the region for the first-ever regional anti-corruption conference, as efforts intensify to address the problem of corruption within the region.

We congratulate the JCF and its partner, the United States Agency for International Development, for this effort which is being billed as the launch pad for a proposed Regional Law Enforcement Anti-Corruption Network, and hope we can eventually score this as a victory for Caribbean people.

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