The Editor, Sir:

In seems like in Jamaica, the war against crime is also a war against law enforcement. The paradox is real, and it is disturbing. Corruption has blurred the line between the good police and the bad police.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is empowered by law to protect the lives and property of citizens. The public has entrusted the police with power and authority to detain citizens accused of committing crimes until there are judicial hearings to determine those citizens' guilt or innocence. Police personnel are expected to be honest, truthful, fair and dedicated to the rule of law. Therefore, criminal acts committed by a policeman should be an extremely rare occurrence. Unfortunately, criminal behaviour has escalated within the JCF. It's the nightmare that we all fear - rogue cops.

Deep corruption

How can you arrest the situation of crime if those leading the charge are themselves involved in criminal activities? Are they known to their fellow officers? It is inconceivable that such levels of criminality and abuse of power could exist without being known in the chain of command of the police force. I am not suggesting that most police personnel are criminals, or vice versa. It is clear, though, that corruption in the ranks runs very deep, and this for far too long.

There are too many allegations. In fact, it has been a critical contribution to the rising tide of criminal activities in Jamaica, leaving hapless citizens trapped between 'police and thief', not knowing where to turn to when they are victims of crime. Until such time as we know we can trust the majority of police officers, we cannot reverse the violence in Jamaica.

Had the police commanded the respect and trust of good people in these crime-ridden areas, they would have long reduced the country's crime rate. Much of the bloodletting could have been prevented. But where trust does not exist, information will not flow. Until such time as good policemen rid their ranks of the rogues, there will be no let-up on the crime front.

Independent oversight

Without external, independent oversight, many in the public will not trust the police. There needs to be someway of reassuring public, particularly the crime-ridden communities, that there's an ombudsperson that's not in the chain of command of the police force. Perhaps the Jamaica Constabulary Force doesn't need a traditional civilian review board, but Jamaicans need greater confidence in their officers - and officers need to conduct themselves in a manner that fosters trust. An independent board that could unseal personnel records could achieve greater accountability and transparency.

When police misconduct is considered legitimate and goes unchallenged, the democratic process is weakened. There are hard-working cops within the police force and there are also some crooked cops who need to be weeded out to ensure that we have the confidence in the police force and we cannot escape that. The force has a responsibility to improve its image.

I am, etc.,

NEVILLE CARNEGIE

New Jersey