Assistant Commissioner Les Green's revelation that rogue cops were among those killed has touched off a fiery reaction from the Police Federation. Chairman Raymond Wilson has called on Green, an English transplant, to back up his statement with evidence or resign.

Green has said he has no intention of backing off. We urge the Federation Chairman to accept Mr Green's invitation to have a peak into his files. We believe that after such a meeting the sergeant should let the public know what he has seen in those files.

Frighteningly, these revelations from Mr Green come at a time when the country appears to be overrun by emboldened criminals who carry out acts of illegality with impunity. Burglaries seem to be at an all-time high, killings have become commonplace and just when everyone thought it could not get worse, it has.

One of my associates who has strong links with the police and is knowledgeable about police work is famous for saying "the police know something 'bout every crime that has been committed," and when I asked "so how come we can't do a better job at solving crime?" he responded with a stunning repertoire of tales about rogue cops. The anecdotes ran the gamut of cops working for drug traffickers, protecting shipments, taking bribes, shaking down criminals, supplying ammunition to leaking information to criminals.

'Bling' and 'hype'

In the context of a society that thrives on 'bling' and 'hype' many cops cannot resist the money they can pocket for these services.

But their actions have resulted in an erosion of public respect for the law and a deep distrust of the police. My informant believes corruption in the Jamaica Constabulary Force is widespread and not bound by rank.

But just how bad is police corruption in Jamaica? We certainly cannot look to the Police Federation for the answer. Les Green appears to know something about the breadth and scale of police corruption. And Police Commissioner Hardley Lewin, who last year described the Jamaica Constabulary Force as a "cesspool", could only make such a public statement on the back of hard evidence.

I can understand why the federation would be offended by Green's remarks. Old people used to say "If stone come from river bottom and tell yu sey sun hot, believe it." This is a smoking gun. The federation should understand that a few bad cops are too many and that dirty cops are, in fact, endangering the lives of decent and hard-working officers.

It seems to me that instead of calling for Mr Green's resignation the federation should be galvanised into action, seeking to put in place new strategies to detect, investigate and eliminate corruption from their ranks. How about calling for protection for whistle-blowers? How about conducting periodic drug testing? Any such action would signal to the public that the federation cares about its image and wants to be a professional body.

Compensation

Successive governments have had to pay out millions of dollars to victims of police abuse in matters such as false arrest and shootings. Human rights watchdogs have repeatedly accused the police of brutality and excesses. The fact that substantial damages have been awarded victims on an annual basis confirms that the courts have found solid evidence. But the federation has turned a blind eye to their members' misconduct. I go further and submit that they have erected a 'blue' wall of silence around such incidents. I cannot recall hearing the federation admitting that a member had erred or exercised bad judgement.

Then there is the knotty issue of how the police force is managed. I have heard police commissioners lamenting about how difficult it is to fire police officers. Not only are they handcuffed by a federation which turns a blind eye to alleged misconduct, it is very difficult to prove corruption. One can remember that former commissioner, Trevor MacMillan, parceled out his own brand of discipline by assigning cops to what this newspaper branded at the time 'Never Never Land'. There was enough evidence of their wrongdoing but not enough to dismiss them, so they continue to hold down a job and collect their salaries under false pretences.

The battle against police corruption will not be won by asking one outspoken cop to resign. One acknowledges the unenviable job that Police Commissioner Lewin and his hard-stretched force have to do as they try to maintain law and order. We want to believe that the majority of JCF members are dedicated and serve with distinction and integrity, but we cannot accept that they are unaware of the criminal actions of their colleagues. They ought to speak up.

Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist. Send feedback to: columns@gleanerjm.com.