- Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Hilary Nicholson (left) of Women's Media Watch, and Monsignor Richard Albert participating at yesterday's Gleaner Editors' Forum at the newspaper's offices, downtown Kingston.
Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter
CONSTANT PRESSURE from human rights activists and citizens has led to a drop in morale within the ranks of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), says Roman Catholic priest, Monsignor Richard Albert.
He made this observation Tuesday while speaking a Gleaner Editors' Forum at the company's North Street offices, downtown Kingston.
"This is impacting on their performance in fighting crime effectively. I am not saying that the police are giving up, or running scared, but I think from a human perspective that if everyday you hear that you are not performing well and you are not doing what you are supposed to do, it must affect your morale," the Roman Catholic priest said.
Since 1999, the police and local human rights group, Jamaica For Justice (JFJ), have clashed repeatedly over a number of controversial shootings, in-cluding the March 2001 shooting of seven young men at a house in Braeton, St. Catherine, and the killing of four persons at Kraal, Clarendon, in March 2003.
BAD PUBLICITY
Responding to Monsignor Albert's comment, Assistant Commissioner Dr. Vivian Pan-ton, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Chaplin, said, as an organisation, the police does not rely on the public's support to keep them motivated. Dr. Panton said all members of the force take an oath which makes them loyal and committed to their task.
"I am not saying that there are not a few exceptions, but the police have never got the response from the public that they deserve," the Force Chaplin said. According to Dr. Panton, there is a great majority that is appreciative of the police, but bad publicity has overshadowed the greater proportion.
Monsignor Albert said the crime situation in Jamaica has worsened over the years and now reached an uncomfortable level, where people and businesses are hurting. Most of those involved in acts of violent crimes are not being apprehended.
Pointing to solutions, the Roman Catholic priest said there need to be social intervention programmes, where skills training centres are set up in the communities.
LOW SUPPORT FOR CIME PLAN
In November 2002, Police Commissioner Francis Forbes unveiled a national crime plan, which he had indicated was a multi-agency approach to the escalating crime problem. Despite the efforts of the police, the crime plan did not get the necessary support from the government, so that social intervention programmes could be introduced in some of the communities.
Pointing to the failure on the part of the relevant authorities to implement the social intervention programmes, Monsignor Albert said he would not rely on government to assist with the social programmes, but instead would seek assistance from non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
