Kristen Gyles | Wearing out the whistleblower

A recent news report of the alleged victimisation of a police constable stationed at the Kingston Central Police Station raises some serious questions regarding corruption in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). Constable Dwight Campbell told the reporter that he has been facing victimisation within the JCF, which has worsened since he spoke out about the actions of a colleague who was seizing motor vehicles without good reason.

Campbell said that on one occasion, the colleague had to be restrained from attacking him physically during an exchange in which the colleague threatened him in the presence of a police inspector by saying “Me a guh buss yuh up and guh up a CIB guh siddung”, supposedly in reference to the Criminal Investigations Branch of the JCF.

What was the alleged resolution? Constable Campbell was transferred to what looks like an old and decrepit shed at the gate of the main building. The structure, which was perhaps intended to be a security post, leaks when it rains, has no electricity and has sewage water running in front of it, according to the constable. He is also expected to perform searches and interact with members of the public in other ways, while not in possession of a firearm.

The account given by Constable Campbell gives the clear impression that an attempt is being made to wear out the whistleblower. At face value, it appears that the constable is being punished or victimised for speaking out about an unlawful practice.

Like every story, this one has a background. It is unclear at what point the victimisation started and over what issues and it is also unclear why the constable is being made to perform his duties unarmed. However, the constable’s story hints at a possible abuse of power by the cop in question.

CORRUPT PRACTICE

It is often alleged that there is a corrupt practice within the police force where some officers concoct reasons to seize motor vehicles, only to then (privately) request funds from the motorist in exchange for the return of the vehicle, without the seizure ever officially being reported. Under Section 13(5) and (6) of the Road Traffic Act (2018), a vehicle is liable to be seized by a police constable under specific circumstances including, but not limited to, the vehicle being unlicensed, the vehicle having no registration plate affixed to it or the characters on the registration plate being unreadable or obscured. Constable Campbell suggested in his interview with the reporter that the colleague with whom he has had the ongoing conflict had been seizing vehicles under the excuse that the licence plates are obscured, where this is in fact not the case.

Why would the officer be so eager to seize vehicles that he would start seeing obscured licence plates where they are visible enough for others to see? Based on Campbell’s account, it was his own pursuit of the answer to that question that resulted in a worsening of his working conditions.

An anti-informant culture permeates many working spaces and makes it genuinely unclear to many employees whether there is any virtue in blowing the whistle. This culture, more than anything else, has been contributing to a heightened perception of corruption in Jamaica. Perhaps we should ask, is whistleblowing good or bad? Jamaican employees are constantly being encouraged to engage in whistleblowing where they see unethical or unlawful behaviours in the workplace, yet hardly seem to have the protection of their employers when they do.

GOOD AND BAD POLICE

Jamaica has good police officers and bad police officers. We all know that. What none of us know is the proportion of the good versus the bad. Good law enforcement agents in Jamaica typically intimate that most of their colleagues are good and will reference ‘a few bad apples’ to suggest that the basket is mostly good. Unfortunately, some Jamaicans have had so many negative interactions with the police that they have drawn the conclusion that the basket of apples is mostly rotten.

One way the JCF can manage the perception that the force is rife with corruption and corruption-enablers is by addressing the claims brought to the public by police officers like Constable Campbell who say they have faced victimisation for whistleblowing. At this point, silence on Constable Campbell’s claims will only worsen the already looming perception of unbridled corruption within the force. After all, if the force has, in fact, handled the constable’s case judiciously, only good will come of an attempt at full transparency. Anything short of that will invite nothing but speculation and the worsening of an already bad rap for Jamaican police.

Kristen Gyles is a free-thinking public affairs opinionator. Send feedback to kristengyles@gmail.com and columns@gleanerjm.com