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Saviour or surrogate?
With Betty Ann Blaine
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Dear Reader,
The events of last week could easily have been lifted from the pages of any of those sizzling spy thrillers I have read. The capture of the man on the most wanted list here and in the United States, Christopher "Dudus" Coke, sent electrifying buzzes across national and international borders. What made the story so intriguing wasn't just the fact that the fugitive Coke, was apprehended after evading law enforcement officers for over a month. It was that the circumstances surrounding the arrest resembled something straight out of a best-selling novel.
MILLER... should admit he exercised bad judgement.
MILLER... should admit he exercised bad judgement.
1/1 
Coke, wearing a wig, was intercepted just outside Kingston city limits accompanied by the Reverend Al Miller, one of Jamaica's most popular and influential pastors. It was reported that the "man of the cloth" was attempting to take Mr Coke to the United States Embassy in Kingston so that he could be turned over to the American authorities.
The events moved rapidly after that. Within 24 hours, Coke faced the local court, waived his right to an extradition hearing, and was summarily handed over to US law-enforcement agents. Less than five hours after his court appearance, Coke was en route to the United States to face trial.
While the main player in the saga was airborne, the controversy surrounding the role of Rev Miller intensified on the ground in Jamaica. The pastor was questioned at length by law enforcement officers and soon after that charged with perverting the course of justice and harbouring a fugitive. Rev Miller's involvement and his subsequent arrest are now the source of intense discussion and debate across the country. The question to be asked is, was the Rev Al Miller a saviour or a surrogate - a hero or a hindrance?
I recognise that the matter is not an easy one to reconcile, and has already become a "wedge" issue for the society. Callers to the various talk shows have essentially lined up on one side or the other - some hailing the pastor as a saviour and hero, and the other side condemning his actions altogether.
"After all," Rev Miller's proponents argue, "Dudus was arrested without a single shot being fired, and is now safe and sound in the United States - isn't that what the country wanted?" Other sympathisers are saying, "If the pastor hadn't transported him, Dudus would have been killed." Rev Miller, sounding familiarly like a martyr, has himself proclaimed that he did what he had to do, and he did it for the good of the country.
Personally, I think that Rev Miller's intentions were pure but his methods clearly wrong. Having successfully turned in the brother and sister of Coke, I think that he felt compelled and comfortable in turning in the most wanted of them all. I believe that Rev Miller genuinely saw himself as mediator in the Coke affair and felt that his seemingly significant influence with the Coke family could benefit the country. Since only God knows what is in a man's heart, I have no idea whether Rev Miller did what he did for his own personal glory as some people are suggesting, but as far as I am concerned that's not the main point to be made.
The problem I have is in trying to figure out how Rev Miller, with all his connections, could not have found a high-ranking police officer to hand over Dudus. Is Rev Miller telling the country that there was not a single police officer whom he could trust? Since Jamaicans often voice the opinion that the only police officers they trust are the ones from England, what about them? Did Rev Miller feel that if he turned Dudus over to one of the English police officers his "ward" would have been killed? I am clear in my own mind that to attempt to take Mr Coke to the US Embassy, rather than to a trusted local police officer was a blunder, and even more serious an offence for which the pastor must now face the court.
But while the debate is centred on the pastor's intentions and illegalities, there is a broader issue at stake here. Rev Miller, wittingly or unwittingly, has sent the strongest message anyone could send, both here and abroad, that the Jamaican police force cannot be trusted. It is a damaging and dangerous message, even while we are all well aware that there is corruption within the Jamaica Constabulary Force. I believe that Rev Miller's actions have set back a possible process of re-evaluation and re-engagement between the citizens and the JCF under the new commissioner. I am particularly concerned that the gains that were becoming noticeable under the new JCF leadership might be severely stymied by the tone and substance of Rev Miller's actions.
It seems to me that this incident has provided an opportunity for us as a society to decide what our relationship will be with the police force of the country, and whether or not we are willing to rebuild the trust between ourselves and the JCF. If in fact we are committed to fixing the problem, the question is, where do we start?
Naturally, the onus rests with the JCF to take seriously the matter of cleaning out the force once and for all of corruption and criminality. The new commissioner must understand in the most forceful way that even within a country mired in corruption, police officers are expected to uphold the law and not break it. I think that the various pressure groups should now begin looking at areas of rapprochement and re-engagement, in addition to our parliament "sprinting" with the establishment of the independent body to investigate police abuses and excesses.
In the meantime, Rev Miller has a tough job ahead of him in promoting values and attitudes while at the same time being accused of perverting the course of justice. My recommendation is that the pastor quickly admit that he exercised bad judgement so that the right lessons can be sent clearly across the country, and especially to the country's children and youth.
With love,
bab2609@yahoo.com
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...ogate-_7754224
With Betty Ann Blaine
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Dear Reader,
The events of last week could easily have been lifted from the pages of any of those sizzling spy thrillers I have read. The capture of the man on the most wanted list here and in the United States, Christopher "Dudus" Coke, sent electrifying buzzes across national and international borders. What made the story so intriguing wasn't just the fact that the fugitive Coke, was apprehended after evading law enforcement officers for over a month. It was that the circumstances surrounding the arrest resembled something straight out of a best-selling novel.
MILLER... should admit he exercised bad judgement.
MILLER... should admit he exercised bad judgement. 1/1 The events moved rapidly after that. Within 24 hours, Coke faced the local court, waived his right to an extradition hearing, and was summarily handed over to US law-enforcement agents. Less than five hours after his court appearance, Coke was en route to the United States to face trial.
While the main player in the saga was airborne, the controversy surrounding the role of Rev Miller intensified on the ground in Jamaica. The pastor was questioned at length by law enforcement officers and soon after that charged with perverting the course of justice and harbouring a fugitive. Rev Miller's involvement and his subsequent arrest are now the source of intense discussion and debate across the country. The question to be asked is, was the Rev Al Miller a saviour or a surrogate - a hero or a hindrance?
I recognise that the matter is not an easy one to reconcile, and has already become a "wedge" issue for the society. Callers to the various talk shows have essentially lined up on one side or the other - some hailing the pastor as a saviour and hero, and the other side condemning his actions altogether.
"After all," Rev Miller's proponents argue, "Dudus was arrested without a single shot being fired, and is now safe and sound in the United States - isn't that what the country wanted?" Other sympathisers are saying, "If the pastor hadn't transported him, Dudus would have been killed." Rev Miller, sounding familiarly like a martyr, has himself proclaimed that he did what he had to do, and he did it for the good of the country.
Personally, I think that Rev Miller's intentions were pure but his methods clearly wrong. Having successfully turned in the brother and sister of Coke, I think that he felt compelled and comfortable in turning in the most wanted of them all. I believe that Rev Miller genuinely saw himself as mediator in the Coke affair and felt that his seemingly significant influence with the Coke family could benefit the country. Since only God knows what is in a man's heart, I have no idea whether Rev Miller did what he did for his own personal glory as some people are suggesting, but as far as I am concerned that's not the main point to be made.
The problem I have is in trying to figure out how Rev Miller, with all his connections, could not have found a high-ranking police officer to hand over Dudus. Is Rev Miller telling the country that there was not a single police officer whom he could trust? Since Jamaicans often voice the opinion that the only police officers they trust are the ones from England, what about them? Did Rev Miller feel that if he turned Dudus over to one of the English police officers his "ward" would have been killed? I am clear in my own mind that to attempt to take Mr Coke to the US Embassy, rather than to a trusted local police officer was a blunder, and even more serious an offence for which the pastor must now face the court.
But while the debate is centred on the pastor's intentions and illegalities, there is a broader issue at stake here. Rev Miller, wittingly or unwittingly, has sent the strongest message anyone could send, both here and abroad, that the Jamaican police force cannot be trusted. It is a damaging and dangerous message, even while we are all well aware that there is corruption within the Jamaica Constabulary Force. I believe that Rev Miller's actions have set back a possible process of re-evaluation and re-engagement between the citizens and the JCF under the new commissioner. I am particularly concerned that the gains that were becoming noticeable under the new JCF leadership might be severely stymied by the tone and substance of Rev Miller's actions.
It seems to me that this incident has provided an opportunity for us as a society to decide what our relationship will be with the police force of the country, and whether or not we are willing to rebuild the trust between ourselves and the JCF. If in fact we are committed to fixing the problem, the question is, where do we start?
Naturally, the onus rests with the JCF to take seriously the matter of cleaning out the force once and for all of corruption and criminality. The new commissioner must understand in the most forceful way that even within a country mired in corruption, police officers are expected to uphold the law and not break it. I think that the various pressure groups should now begin looking at areas of rapprochement and re-engagement, in addition to our parliament "sprinting" with the establishment of the independent body to investigate police abuses and excesses.
In the meantime, Rev Miller has a tough job ahead of him in promoting values and attitudes while at the same time being accused of perverting the course of justice. My recommendation is that the pastor quickly admit that he exercised bad judgement so that the right lessons can be sent clearly across the country, and especially to the country's children and youth.
With love,
bab2609@yahoo.com
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...ogate-_7754224
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