District constable arrested for gun stolen from station

Glenroy Sinclair, Assignment Coordinator

After observing a district constable turning in the firearm issued to him for the night shift, a bulge in his waist alerted a detective constable who became suspicious and demanded a search.

As the drama unfolded in the guardroom of the Gordon Town Police Station in St Andrew, the bulge turned out to be an illegal .38 revolver which was reported stolen from that police station three years ago.

"He (the district constable) was immediately arrested and we are now awaiting a ruling from Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn," a sub-officer from the St Andrew North Police Division told The Gleaner yesterday.

The sub-officer explained that the gun was found in the possession of a woman during a raid in Gordon Town in 2009. After the gun went missing, the woman was later acquitted of the offence.

"When the detective constable observed the bulge in his waist, he became curious, because he did not know the district constable to be a licensed firearm holder," the sub-officer said.

Home searched

While the matter is being further investigated by the Inspectorate of Constabulary Branch, headed by Deputy Commissioner Delworth Heath, police investigators have since searched the home of the district constable. One of his colleagues said nothing was found.

As Police Commissioner Owen Ellington continues to implement measures to rid the police force of corrupt officers, close to 40 have been arrested since the start of the year. The majority were apprehended by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), which is now headed by Acting Assistant Commissioner Selvin Hay.

glenroy.sinclair@gleanerjm.com