A SENIOR POLICE OFFICER DISCUSSES DEPORTEES,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINGSTON 001449

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR (BENT),INL/LP (KBROWN, NBOZZOLO)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2014
TAGS: PGOV KCOR KCRM JM
SUBJECT: A SENIOR POLICE OFFICER DISCUSSES DEPORTEES,
POLICE CORRUPTION AND RECENT CRIME PROTEST

REF: A. KINGSTON 02867


B. KINGSTON 01337

C. KINGSTON 01349

Classified By: Charge Ronald S. Robinson for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).


1. Summary: In a June 3 meeting with Poloff, the head of the
Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB),Assistant Commissioner
of Police George Williams, concurred with one of the findings
of an Embassy-funded study of deportees, acknowledged deep
corruption within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF),
asserted that the May 25 Private Sector Organization of
Jamaica's (PSOJ) protest against crime was "nice", and that
extortion is "big business" in Jamaica. End Summary.

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Deportees Learned their "Trade" in Jamaica
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2. In a recent media interview, Assistant Commissioner of
Police (ACP) George Williams, head of the Criminal
Investigation Bureau (CIB) told reporters that deportees were
involved in many of the island's violent crimes. What he
failed to mention, however, is that these same deportees led
a life of crime before entering the United States. In a
meeting on June 3, when Poloff asked Williams to elaborate on
his statement, he said many of the deportees were either
"leaders of gangs or very close to leaders before they went
to the U.S." They are deported for one reason or another, and
when they return they try to resume or gain control. Many
deportees face resistance, which has resulted in shoot-outs
over turf and control of extortion rings. (Note: An
Embassy-funded deportee study done by Dr. Bernard Headley of
the University of West Indies in October, 2004, provided an
academic analysis of certain myths surrounding deportees.
Although the study was not intended to ascertain the extent
to which deportees impact crime in Jamaica, the study did
dispel the myth that deportees go to the U.S. at a young age,
become "learned" criminals and return to Jamaica where they
practice their criminal skills. (Ref A) End Note.)


3. Williams stated that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF)
is unable to adequately monitor deportees due to a lack of
resources, but he hopes that will change. Over the past two
years, CIB has requested a monitoring order for approximately
twenty individuals. The order, which lasts for one year,
requires deportees to inform the police of where and with
whom they will live and to report to the local police station
under a monthly time-frame specified by the court. Williams
noted that amendments to the Fingerprint Act gives police the
power to fingerprint and photograph deportees immediately
upon their return to Jamaica if they were convicted of a
crime in the U.S. The CIB has not utilized the fingerprint
legislation since it was enacted in April, 2005. If the
monitoring order is breached, the deportee is subject to
criminal prosecution. None of the deportees have breached a
monitoring order.

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Corruption in the JCF is Nothing New
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4. On June 1, Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas told police
officers at the 62nd annual Police Federation Conference
that, "we have criminals among us. It is not only corporals,
sergeants and inspectors, it goes all the way up." Thomas
also alleged that intelligence, while insufficient to convict
corrupt officers, has revealed that some officers are selling
official ammunition, are involved in the illegal drug trade
and share important information about police operations with
criminals.


5. Williams was very frank in stating that he appreciated
Thomas' remarks and acknowledged that everyone in the JCF are
aware of who the corrupt officers are. Describing the extent
of this knowledge, Williams stated "I could give you a list
right now of corrupt officers that would be as long as my
arm". Expressing frustration, Williams said there is nothing
we can do without hard-core evidence to convict." It is the
lack of evidence that has prevented the conviction of corrupt
cops.

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Extortion and the PSOJ
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6. When asked to give his views of the Private Sector
Organization of Jamaica's (PSOJ) May 25 crime protest,
Williams stated that he shares the same view as many other
individuals in Jamaica that the PSOJ crime protest and
business lockdown is a good gesture but nothing will come of
it. (Ref A). He described extortion as being conducted and
endorsed at every level in the business sector and claimed
that it is not being reported. Williams stated that he has
personally reached out to the business sector to get details
on the perpetrators; however, the business sector clams up
and he does not understand why. When Poloff asked if it
could possibly be due to the perception that corrupt
policemen are involved in extortion, Williams acknowledged
that this is a possibility in some inner-city areas, but that
it is definitely not widespread.


7. According to Williams, criminals use funds from extortion
to purchase high-powered weapons. The weapons are then used
in various forms of criminality including taking the lives of
police and ordinary citizens. In what he sees as
collaboration from the business sector, Williams stated that
some businesses "actually choose to pay freely", thus they
encourage it. Unfortunately, CIB does not have firm evidence
to prosecute extortionists as there are no witnesses to come
forward and testify.


8. Comment: The allegation that deportees are the cause of
an overwhelmingly large amount of crime in Jamaica will be
kept alive so long as Jamaica continues to struggle with an
escalating crime rate and an inability to deal with it. The
GOJ's insistence that deportees from the U.S., UK, and to a
lesser extent Canada, are the cause of its crime problem,
implies that other countries are to bear partial blame and
responsibility for the state of crime in Jamaica.


9. Corruption and extortion go hand-in-hand in Jamaica where
private citizens do not know whom to trust and the government
has not shown the will to address the problem. Thomas'
announcement was greeted with support from the government,
opposition and the private sector, however, as is often the
case, a lack of resources and initiative to draft and pass
appropriate legislation to allow for the removal of corrupt
officers will thwart any action in response to Thomas'
proclamation. End Comment.
ROBINSON