Frying commish in rogue cops' fat

By George Davis

There are times when I take on the sorrow that I imagine the police commissioner, Owen Ellington, feels whenever news breaks of another civilian being shot and killed under highly controversial circumstances by one of his charges.

The gentleman must feel sorrow given that despite what he as the supreme leader of the constabulary preaches religiously, the men and women under his command often use force indiscriminately, laying waste to the type of conduct befitting responsible police personnel in a civilised democracy.

Certainly, there are many occasions where the police, in fighting fire with live rounds of their own, will kill a man who, despite his own murderous past, is deemed worthy of the outpouring of emotion by angry protesters, given his beneficence to their community. Against such a scenario, Ellington can breathe easy, knowing that most Jamaicans, unaware of the charitable side of this Robin Hood, will always support the police when they kill a criminal opposed to surrender, and who's intent on going out with all guns blazing.

But since his appointment to the high chair in the Jamaica Constabulary Force in 2010, Ellington, if the myriad incidents are to be examined, has had precious few occasions where he could face the public confident in the knowledge that personnel at his command are on the right side of the law where civilian killings are concerned.

QUESTIONING ELLINGTON'S ESTEEM

Try as I might, I cannot extend the vicarious to assume Ellington's feelings whenever that snarling police watchdog, INDECOM, charges a policeman for murder. Every such charge must slice him like a Saracen blade. Each murder charge against a policeman only serves to undermine Ellington's ultimate authority as the man in command. Each such charge serves as an indictment on Ellington himself, as a man capable of engendering the respect for the rule of law that should be a matter of course for police personnel in the performance of their duties.

Many persons respect Commissioner Ellington for the quality of his reasoning, his honesty and his appearance as a man who can be trusted. He's a highly intelligent man who's difficult to trap into making controversial statements. He's acutely aware of the power of the press and knows he must never ride the media caravan.

Yet, each time one of his subordinates cops a murder charge, you start to look at Ellington differently, wondering if you have erred in the esteem with which you have held him. You wonder about the future of a police chief under whose watch reports of a death squad have been confirmed by statements from INDECOM naming four policemen who've been charged with several murders committed in the Clarendon police division. According to INDECOM, these rogue cops may have acted under the instruction of senior officers.

MORE COPS BEING CHARGED

But before the deeds of bloodthirsty cops are used to drown the commissioner, it must be remembered that before his time, more than 2,000 civilians had been killed by police between 2000 and 2010.

Sure, extrajudicial killings under his watch are also at incredible levels. But there's a big difference. Under Ellington's leadership, more policemen are being charged for murder. This simple fact communicates his intent to act against those seemingly hell-bent on rebranding the force as the League of Legal Gunmen.

In the case of the Clarendon matters, where four policemen are charged with the murder of eight men, INDECOM has stated publicly that they could not have laid the charges without the full cooperation of the Police High Command, led by Ellington.

Under Ellington's watch, more policemen have been charged and/or convicted for corruption than at any time since Independence. If he doesn't change course, the murderers will get locked up, too. And over time, the critics will see that despite the actions of those policemen on a mission to damage his standing and legacy through their murderous actions, Owen Ellington is a man of honour.

The critics will also understand that though he might preach professionalism to every member of the constabulary, he cannot control the use of their government-issued guns. They will come to respect him for doing the only thing in his power, that is, to ensure justice is done when they act outside the law.

Selah.

George Davis is a journalist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and george.s.davis@hotmail.com.