Erica Virtue, Staff Reporter
SPECIALISED TRAINING would be a must for members of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) who are currently working alongside police officers on the volatile streets of Kingston and St. Andrew, in Government's latest offensive against the raging crime wave.
The soldiers, who have engaged in joint police/military patrols with the police over the years, have been placed on the streets again, but no information about the type of training they received have been disclosed.
National Security Minister, Dr. Peter Phillips, in Parliament last week, said the police and soldiers would remain on the streets for as long as was necessary to search for criminal elements, and illegal guns and ammunition.
Because of the multi-thrust approach to the crime-fighting efforts, the soldiers are drawn from different units of the JDF.
Asked what type of training would be given to soldiers under his command, a former head of the army, Colonel Trevor MacMillan, said no soldier would be sent on the road to deal with people, without first receiving basic training.
"The soldiers are not police. The training is different from day one, because the focus is different. Therefore, it would have to be made very clear as to the role the soldiers will be playing, while they do duties with the police," he said last week.
According to him, the JDF is comprised of several different units and has individuals who are trained in different disciplines.
"If you need individuals for technical assistance such as the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo), it would be the Engineering Unit. If it comes to helping on a ward in a hospital, it would be the First Aid and medically trained people. If it comes to basic labour, it would be the 1JR and 2JR personnel. They are available for more manual tasks. But those on the streets with the police would be the Infantry Unit," he noted.
The Infantry Unit, he said, are those who would be trained to obey orders which would be given by a ground commander.
Asked if the soldiers received special training on how to treat detainees, he said soldiers operate under a number of guidelines, including the Geneva Convention and that is, "Simply when you take a prisoner it is for that prisoner's protection. The person would be treated humanely," he stated. "In addition to the Geneva Convention, it is part of the training of soldiers to treat individuals with respect. If they do otherwise and it is reported, then disciplinary action is taken."
Asked if there were disadvantages to army personnel on the road for long periods, he said, it was not advisable, but said the JDF recalls its officials at intervals, re-train them, and send them back on the road. When the operation started last week with curfews in three areas, soldiers were seen operating heavy duty trucks from the National Works Agency to clear blocked roads and other debris in several communities.
The operation started in Hannah Town and Denham Town, in the Kingston West police division and Payne Avenue in the St. Andrew South Division.
