BRITISH METROPOLITAN Police Chief, Sir John Stevens, who arrived in the island yesterday on an official three-day visit, is to meet with Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips, and Commissioner of Police, Francis Forbes, to discuss the Kraal police killings, among other issues.
Press officer at the British High Commission, Mags White, told The Gleaner that the Metropolitan Police Chief is here to look into the investigation proceedings of the controversial Kraal killings. The police claim that on May 7, members of the Crime Management Unit (CMU) went to the Clarendon community for wanted men. On their arrival, the police said that they were fired upon; the fire was returned, resulting in the killing of four persons, including
two women. In the wake of public outcry over the controversial killings, Commissioner Forbes ordered a full investigation into the incident and has sought help from Scotland Yard, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in the United States and the Canadian police, in investigating the killings.
Assistant Commissioner Os-bourne Dyer was put in charge of the Kraal investigations and was given 14 days, from May 15, to complete it. Since May 27, four persons from Scotland Yard have been here assisting the local police with investigations. According to Mrs. White, on completion of the investigations, not all of them will return to Britain, as some will remain in Jamaica to work with the local police for a period of time.
UPDATE SINCE LAST VISIT
She said Sir John will also update himself on what happened since he met Minister Phillips in the United Kingdom. She said the visit by the British Police Chief is in keeping with the agreement by the British Government to assist the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) in fighting crime.
Sir John is to hold a press conference tomorrow.
The British Police Chief was last here in July 2002 to explore the possibility of co-operation between the Jamaican and British police in the areas of crime-fighting and drug eradication. The co-operation was agreed on before he returned to Britain.
Meanwhile, another British police official is expected in the island for the Jamaica Police Federation's annual conference tomorrow. General secretary of the Federation, Constable Hartley Stewart, confirmed that the chairman of the England and Wales Police Federation, Jan Berry, will be the guest speaker at the conference.
