Commentary

Last week, the three men, who have been found guilty of the theft of 18 guns and several thousand bullets from the main police armoury in Kingston, were sentenced to a total of 138 years in jail.

Practically, however, and barring an appeal, Charles Morris and David Blagrove, both handymen at the armoury, will be imprisoned for 13 years because their sentences are to run concurrently.

Businessman Garnett Pennington, at whose home the guns and ammunition were found, is to serve 10 years.

Police Sergeant Russell Robinson, who is believed to have masterminded the theft, is yet to be tried, and it remains unclear whether his alleged co-conspirators will now follow through on their original plan to turn Crown witnesses. Their lawyers, apparently, do not believe the sentences were compatible with the expectations of potentially cooperative state witnesses.

The outcome of this case, and the clear intention of Magistrate Gloria Smith of indicating how grievously she viewed the men's behaviour, will likely renew public discussions about the proposed plea-bargaining law and its potential efficacy in this jurisdiction.

It is a debate worth having, given Jamaica's crisis of crime, the low level of detection and even lower rate of convictions.

But even as we engage in this discussion, and possibly an explanation from prosecutors of the decision to play hardball against Sergeant Russell, this newspaper believes the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) owe the public an explanation of another kind.

It is now seven months since two young and alert policemen stumbled on what was not merely a theft but a breach that, potentially, posed major threats to national security.

Indeed, there were rumours that many more than the 17 guns acknowledged were stolen. The police denied this, but it might have been. The breach, after all, was not detected at the armoury, but because the young policemen noticed suspicious activities at a premises while on patrol.

In the circumstances, it was right for the police chief, Mr Owen Ellington, to order a major audit of the armoury. That was done publicly.

Yet, seven months later, there has been no formal report of its findings and how the security of the police arsenal, at the main armoury and at stations, has been improved.

Beyond the criminal cases, this newspaper believes that the public has a right to know what management breaches were identified, who was responsible and whether that person was held to account. It is such acts of accountability and transparency that will help to rebuild trust in the JCF.

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