FORBES
Omar Anderson, Gleaner Writer
POLICE COMMISSIONER Francis Forbes says he's not to be blamed for the record number of murders and the unacceptable crimes committed under his watch, as these trends have dogged past Commissioners over the past 30 years.
In fact, the Commissioner claimed that since he took office in October 1, 1996, there's been a general reduction in major crimes.
Major crimes listed by the police as of 2003 are murders, shootings, sexual offences, felonious woundings and robberies. Felonious woundings were not listed among major crimes up to 2002.
Since January, there has been more than 900 murders almost as many as the 975 killed in 2003 alone. At the current rate, the number of murders may well pass the record 1,139 in 2001 if actions are not taken to stem the carnage.
But in an exclusive interview with The Sunday Gleaner last week, Commissioner Forbes said he's not to be singled out because the number of crimes is considered to be at an alarming level.
"Every Commissioner left office with that [crime] record," he said. "And if you look at the 1970s you will see that every single five-year period saw an increase over the preceding five years, so tell me which Commissioner could have stayed for seven calendar years and not seen an increase?"
OUGHT TO BE STUDIED
According to the Commissioner, this phenomenon ought to be studied by criminologists.
In backing his performance, Mr. Forbes said between 1990 and 1996, compared with 1997 and 2003, there were 115,989 major crimes committed in Jamaica, and the average cleared rate was 34 per cent.
"At the end of my seven-year period, this (major crimes) fell to 62,267, and the cleared up rate went up to 44 per cent, so there's a 10 per cent increase," the Commissioner said.
Meanwhile, he refuted claims that he was using the lack of resources as a cloak for a lack of performance. According to Mr. Forbes, there is a real resource problem that is inhibiting members of the force from adequately executing their duties.
"When the Minister of National Security went to the celebration meeting of the last annual general conference, there was one police sergeant who joined the line and all he was asking about was boots," he said.
CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION
"I can show you continuous communication between my director of finance and the Ministry of National Security, and further communication with the Ministry of Finance and myself, as to the millions of dollars of shortage from time to time. So where is the make-believe lack of resource?"
Asked what were the failures he had faced so far in his eighth year in the top police job, the Commissioner said it was the slow pace of police reform and modernisation, which hindered the implementation of the force's five-year corporate strategy plan.
However, he said the British Government recently indicated it will increase its financial support of the corporate strategy, especially as it relates to fighting corruption.
"We have a signal that it (support) could be as much as a million pounds," Mr. Forbes said. "In a matter of days, I'm to be meeting with a [British Government] representative."
Meanwhile, the 53-year-old Commissioner told The Sunday Gleaner that while he has seven more years to go before retirement age, he will demit office before he reaches age 60. However he did not state how soon before 60 he would quit.
