JAMAICA: POLICE UNDER FIRE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINGSTON 001258

SIPDIS

WHA/CAR (BENT),INL/LP (KBROWN),DS/IP/ITA, DS/IP/WHA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2014
TAGS: PREL KCRM SNAR JM
SUBJECT: JAMAICA: POLICE UNDER FIRE

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Thomas C. Tighe. Reasons 1.5 (b) and (
d).


1. (C) Summary: In seperate incidents, between 9:00 p.m. on
May 3 and 7:00 a.m. on May 4, three Jamaica Constabulary
Force (JCF) officers and one private security guard were
murdered while another JCF officer was injured in Kingston.
Two of the alleged gunmen were shot and killed in one
incident and the weapon recovered at that scene has been
linked to the 14 month old murder of another JCF officer.
The perpetrators for all of the shootings have been linked to
the notorious Tivoli Gardens area "Shower Posse". Although
there is an ongoing investigation, no suspects have been
apprehended and another "committee" is being created to look
into the crime problem. End Summary.


2. (U) At approximately 9:30 p.m. on May 3, in front of the
Canadian High Commission in Kingston, two gunmen on a
motorcycle approached Corporal H. Chandler, a Jamaica
Constabulary Force (JCF) officer sitting at a traffic light
in a marked vehicle, shot and killed him. A JCF officer and
a private security guard who happened to be nearby, gave
chase and in the ensuing shoot-out, killed the two gunmen,
one of whom has been identified as Christopher St. Aubyn
Coke, aka "Royale", the brother of Michael Christopher
"Dudus" Coke, a well known, JLP-linked "area leader" in West
Kingston. Over the next 24 hours, two additional JCF
officers and one private security guard were killed. Another
officer was shot and injured while on patrol and in a
separate brazen attack, Constable D. Brown was killed when
gunmen opened fire on the Crossroads police station which is
located in the downtown area near the Embassy. No one has
been apprehended in any of the killings.


3. (C) NAS Law Enforcement Development Advisor confirmed that
the JCF originally believed that these shootings are in
retaliation for the fatal shooting of Tivoli Gardens gang
leader, Donovan Griffith aka "Zion Train", by JCF officers in
late April. The police believe that the Tivoli Gardens
"Shower Posse" gang is fulfilling a vow to retaliate against
any security official - police, military and private security
guards. However, information Emboffs received through other
contacts suggests that there was a direct hit put on Chandler
because he was involved in drug related criminal activity.
It is further alleged that the death of "Royale" is what
prompted the Tivoli Garden gang's call for retaliation
against any security official.


4. (C) JCF investigators at the scene of Chandler's shooting
recovered a Glock pistol belonging to either "Royale" or his
accomplice. RSO, the JCF and Miami ATF worked quickly to
identify the weapon as one of several purchased by a
Jamaican/American woman in Central Florida whose spouse is
living in the U.S. despite having a criminal history.
Through ballistic testing, the RSO has confirmed that this
same weapon was used to kill JCF Senior Superintendent (SSP)
Lloyd McDonald fourteen months ago. Ironically, McDonald was
gunned down about 100 meters from where Corporal Chandler was
murdered. The second weapon recovered from one of the
deceased gunmen was SSP McDonald's service revolver which was
stolen at the time of his murder.


5. (U) The police expect the retaliatory killings to continue
despite pleas from Opposition Leader Bruce Golding for calm
in the Tivoli area, his constituency. In response to the
threat and subsequent killings, the police have initiated
checkpoints in and out of the Tivoli Gardens area. On May 5,
the Prime Minster issued a call to "put aside all partisan
considerations or selfish concerns and unite in the fight
against crime," while the Minister of National Security
stated that the criminals will be "tracked down and put away."


6. (U) On May 6, in a joint statement issued by the Prime
Minister and Leader of the Opposition Bruce Golding, the
leaders expressed condemnation and abhorrence at the recent
attacks on the police force. They agreed that some
communities would require the sustained presence and
extensive searches by the police, undertaken on the basis of
intelligence and not political considerations. In addition,
a Parliamentary committee to deal with security would be
established to review the legislative framework in support of
the work of the police.


7. (C) Comment: While members of the opposition and NGOs
such as Jamaicans for Justice have called for the police to
utilize restraint in responding to the "attack on police",
post is surprised by what little has been said and done by
both the People's National Party and the Jamaica Labour Party
in response. While an agreement to put together a
parliamentary committee to deal with security issues is
positive, it is yet another group of people looking at the
same issue of an escalating murder rate (now over 580 since
January 1),that shows no sign of abating. End Comment.
TIGHE