By Glenroy Sinclair, Staff ReporterTHIRTY-ONE MEMBERS of the island's security forces - 15 police and 16 soldiers - have been dismissed since January following internal and legal proceedings against them.
Woman Constable Jean McDonald of the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) said Police Commissioner Francis Forbes had sacked 15 members of the police force for various disciplinary breaches eight were deemed not likely to become efficient constables, four were convicted in the courts for crimes and three others were dismissed because of desertion.
Among the deserters are persons whom the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), had ruled should be charged criminally for cases being investigated.
The Jamaica Defence Force's (JDF) Public Information Officer, Captain Charlene Steer, said 16 soldiers had been dismissed for breaching army regulations.
"One of them was dismissed after judiciary proceedings," said Captain Steer.
Another soldier, 27-year-old private Dwayne Cunningham, who is listed among the 16, lost his job after he was held with cocaine at the Norman Manley International Airport on December 7, while attempting to smuggle the drug to the United Kingdom.
Investigations revealed that Private Cunningham had ingested 19 pellets of cocaine. A week ago he appeared in the St. Andrew Resident Magistrate's Court and pleaded guilty.
He is scheduled to returned to court next Monday, December 23, when he will be sentenced. Over the past three years several members of the security forces have been sacked because of their involvment in the narcotics trade. Some are behind bars in the United States and the United Kingdom serving sentences.
