'Defend yourselves'
Published:Tuesday | September 14, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter
Police Commissioner Owen Ellington is urging members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force to defend themselves in the wake of what he is describing as mounting criminal attacks.
Obviously hurt by the recent attacks on the men and women under his command, Ellington yesterday sought to assure members of the police force that they would have the full backing of the High Command in any lawful action taken to defend themselves.
The commissioner's comments came as he expressed disgust at the increase in the number of attacks on police personnel in recent weeks.
Ten members of the force have been murdered islandwide since the start of the year, with three of those policemen killed in the past two months.
That list includes 22-year-old Special Constable James Lemmie, who was killed on Young Street in Spanish Town, St Catherine, on August 2, and Special Corporal Garfield Anderson, who was fatally shot in Portmore, St Catherine, last Thursday after he was summoned to an area near his home in Westchester.
Calculated attacks
The killing of Anderson led to more speculation that the police were being targeted by criminals on the run since late May.
"There are elements in society bent on challenging and even bringing down the constituted authorities of the state," declared National Security Minister Dwight Nelson in the wake of the fatal shooting of the special corporal.
That is a position apparently shared by Ellington, who declared that he was disturbed at what seemed to be calculated attacks on members of the security forces.
"What is even more disturbing is that these unwarranted attacks are increasingly taking place against members while they are off duty," noted Ellington.
"The threat level against members of the security forces remains high. This assessment means that all policemen and women must exercise great care and take all necessary precautions to ensure their safety," Ellington added.
No compromise on security
According to the police commissioner: "I am urging members not to compromise their levels of security as there are criminal elements who want to disrupt the gains we have made over the last four months."
In August, the Police High Command had raised the threat level against its members to 'extreme', following the killing of three policemen in separate incidents.
At that time, the High Command said its intelligence and the actions of criminals indicated "calculated assaults on police personnel who were working to displace criminal gangs".
Ellington also ordered the police control centre to broadcast security reminders to all members of the force on a regular basis.
Yesterday, the tough-talking commissioner made it clear that the police would not back down, as he issued a warning to criminal elements and those who sympathise with them.
"The police remain undeterred in the fight against organised crime," declared Ellington.