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Lewin fires back:Ex-commish said he was frustrated and disappointed with government policies
Published: Sunday | May 23, 2010 1 Comment and 0 Reactions
Lewin
Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter
FORMER POLICE Commissioner Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin is claiming that the Government's failure to act on, or even respond to, his proposals to completely revamp the police force was at the heart of his decision to resign after two years in the job.
In his first major presentation since he quit last November, Lewin told an RJR news forum on Friday that he did not quit in a huff over the 'Dudus' extradition request, neither did he leave because he was failing to reduce crime.
Instead, Lewin said he was frustrated and disappointed with the lack of policy support from the Government.
"Policy is more than just being able to say, 'I have provided 100 vehicles for the police; I have fixed six stations, two new stations at a value of $500 million'. That is a part of it, and important, but it is the issues, the framework driving the transformation," said Lewin.
response to golding
This seemed a direct response to Prime Minister Bruce Golding who, in announcing the resignation of Lewin, told Parliament: "Despite the severe budgetary constraints, we have provided significant resources to meet the requests of the police in terms of vehicles, telecommunications and forensic equipment and improvements to police stations."
At the time, Golding made it clear that the Government wanted Lewin out.
"(The Cabinet) did not feel that the strategies being pursued were effectively addressing the problem, and it had lost confidence in the ability of the commissioner to deliver the results that the country required," Golding said.
wrote to ministers
But on Friday, Lewin fired back, charging that over the time that he served, he wrote to the three persons who served as national security minister and outlined measures, plans and possible timelines for radical changes that would reshape the force.
"If I was told that, 'Lewin, your proposal is damn nonsense!' then I would have known where I stood, but there was nothing," Lewin said.
"There are financial constraints, and what that ought to do ... it may stretch your timeline, but you must have an agreed objective and a programme planned, that may slip a little, but not having anything there and going along, it doesn't work that way," added Lewin.
not some people's choice
Lewin said he was aware that he was not the choice for commissioner of some people in the force and some persons in the governing Jamaica Labour Party.
"I went with full expectations that there were hurdles to overcome and fully prepared for them. But what emerged was a clique or cabal of government ministers, some business friends and some police officers who conspired and sought to undermine me throughout," claimed Lewin.
He said he rejected calls for massive promotions and transfers when the Government changed, and this caused persons to use the worsening crime situation as a weapon against him.
Published: Sunday | May 23, 2010 1 Comment and 0 Reactions
Lewin
Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter
FORMER POLICE Commissioner Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin is claiming that the Government's failure to act on, or even respond to, his proposals to completely revamp the police force was at the heart of his decision to resign after two years in the job.
In his first major presentation since he quit last November, Lewin told an RJR news forum on Friday that he did not quit in a huff over the 'Dudus' extradition request, neither did he leave because he was failing to reduce crime.
Instead, Lewin said he was frustrated and disappointed with the lack of policy support from the Government.
"Policy is more than just being able to say, 'I have provided 100 vehicles for the police; I have fixed six stations, two new stations at a value of $500 million'. That is a part of it, and important, but it is the issues, the framework driving the transformation," said Lewin.
response to golding
This seemed a direct response to Prime Minister Bruce Golding who, in announcing the resignation of Lewin, told Parliament: "Despite the severe budgetary constraints, we have provided significant resources to meet the requests of the police in terms of vehicles, telecommunications and forensic equipment and improvements to police stations."
At the time, Golding made it clear that the Government wanted Lewin out.
"(The Cabinet) did not feel that the strategies being pursued were effectively addressing the problem, and it had lost confidence in the ability of the commissioner to deliver the results that the country required," Golding said.
wrote to ministers
But on Friday, Lewin fired back, charging that over the time that he served, he wrote to the three persons who served as national security minister and outlined measures, plans and possible timelines for radical changes that would reshape the force.
"If I was told that, 'Lewin, your proposal is damn nonsense!' then I would have known where I stood, but there was nothing," Lewin said.
"There are financial constraints, and what that ought to do ... it may stretch your timeline, but you must have an agreed objective and a programme planned, that may slip a little, but not having anything there and going along, it doesn't work that way," added Lewin.
not some people's choice
Lewin said he was aware that he was not the choice for commissioner of some people in the force and some persons in the governing Jamaica Labour Party.
"I went with full expectations that there were hurdles to overcome and fully prepared for them. But what emerged was a clique or cabal of government ministers, some business friends and some police officers who conspired and sought to undermine me throughout," claimed Lewin.
He said he rejected calls for massive promotions and transfers when the Government changed, and this caused persons to use the worsening crime situation as a weapon against him.