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Break the silence - Police should lead by example
Break the silence - Police should lead by example
published: Sunday | December 16, 2007
Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
[COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Police [COLOR=orange! important]officers[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] in a sombre mood at a crime scene where one of their colleagues was killed.
Tyrone Reid, Enterprise Reporter
The [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]police[/COLOR][/COLOR] need to break their silence too! That is the view of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Mark Shields who believes the police must lead by example.
The former Scotland Yard Detective tells The Sunday Gleaner that it would be hypocritical for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to urge citizens to give information on crimes when its own members are silent on corruption in the force.
"The fact is that the good men and women of the JCF have a duty in which to rid their own community, which is the JCF, of criminals in the same way that I'm appealing to people to rid their communities of criminals as well," says DCP Shields.
He added: "You can't have a culture where we are prepared to stay silent within the police, because frankly, that would be quite hypocritical if you are saying to people within communities that 'You should come forward and cooperate with the police'. In the same way, the good police should do that against their criminal [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]colleagues[/COLOR][/COLOR] and that's what we are appealing to them to do."
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Leon Rose agreed that it cannot be a 'Do as I say, but not as I do' situation. "From where I sit, certainly, I would have no difficulty in saying that those of us in the organisation (who are law-abiding) must be brave enough to isolate and expose the corrupt from among us, as it does not augur well for the sort of ethics and professionalism that we want in an organisation such as the police force," he said.
Expose the corrupt
In addition, ACP Rose believes that good members of the police force need to expose members of the citizenry who attempt to corrupt the police. "Oftentimes, some (people) who try to bribe the police are persons of influence who hide behind offices and [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]economic[/COLOR][/COLOR] power."
"Equally, those are persons who should be exposed," he stressed.
DCP Shields adds that the JCF is always appealing to law-abiding police officers to come forward with information that would help to rid the organisation of both crime and corruption.
He shares the view that corruption in the force is at an unacceptable level. "There are too many police officers who are arrested each year, not only for corruption but for also being involved in crime, such as robbery and stolen motor vehicle rings, just to name two examples," he explains.
DCP Shields strongly believes that enough secure means are available for law-abiding police officers to give information on their rogue colleagues. Likewise, he believes the same holds true for citizens who have information on crimes and the criminals who commit them. But, the pertinent question in his mind is, do both the people and the police have the will to do it? "I [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]think[/COLOR][/COLOR] that judging by the number of crimes, particularly murder, at the moment and problems within the organisation, I think people have to say enough is enough," DCP Shields states.
published: Sunday | December 16, 2007
Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
[COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Police [COLOR=orange! important]officers[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] in a sombre mood at a crime scene where one of their colleagues was killed.
Tyrone Reid, Enterprise Reporter
The [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]police[/COLOR][/COLOR] need to break their silence too! That is the view of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Mark Shields who believes the police must lead by example.
The former Scotland Yard Detective tells The Sunday Gleaner that it would be hypocritical for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to urge citizens to give information on crimes when its own members are silent on corruption in the force.
"The fact is that the good men and women of the JCF have a duty in which to rid their own community, which is the JCF, of criminals in the same way that I'm appealing to people to rid their communities of criminals as well," says DCP Shields.
He added: "You can't have a culture where we are prepared to stay silent within the police, because frankly, that would be quite hypocritical if you are saying to people within communities that 'You should come forward and cooperate with the police'. In the same way, the good police should do that against their criminal [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]colleagues[/COLOR][/COLOR] and that's what we are appealing to them to do."
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Leon Rose agreed that it cannot be a 'Do as I say, but not as I do' situation. "From where I sit, certainly, I would have no difficulty in saying that those of us in the organisation (who are law-abiding) must be brave enough to isolate and expose the corrupt from among us, as it does not augur well for the sort of ethics and professionalism that we want in an organisation such as the police force," he said.
Expose the corrupt
In addition, ACP Rose believes that good members of the police force need to expose members of the citizenry who attempt to corrupt the police. "Oftentimes, some (people) who try to bribe the police are persons of influence who hide behind offices and [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]economic[/COLOR][/COLOR] power."
"Equally, those are persons who should be exposed," he stressed.
DCP Shields adds that the JCF is always appealing to law-abiding police officers to come forward with information that would help to rid the organisation of both crime and corruption.
He shares the view that corruption in the force is at an unacceptable level. "There are too many police officers who are arrested each year, not only for corruption but for also being involved in crime, such as robbery and stolen motor vehicle rings, just to name two examples," he explains.
DCP Shields strongly believes that enough secure means are available for law-abiding police officers to give information on their rogue colleagues. Likewise, he believes the same holds true for citizens who have information on crimes and the criminals who commit them. But, the pertinent question in his mind is, do both the people and the police have the will to do it? "I [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]think[/COLOR][/COLOR] that judging by the number of crimes, particularly murder, at the moment and problems within the organisation, I think people have to say enough is enough," DCP Shields states.
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