UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KINGSTON 001784

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAR (BENT) AND WHA/PPC (PUCCETTI)
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP (OWEN AND ETERNO)
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD AND J7

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM KWMN OPRC PHUM PREL SMIG JM TIP
SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS VISIT KINGSTON TO EVALUATE
GOJ PROGRESS ON TIP

REF: A. STATE 01444


B. KINGSTON 01611

C. SIEBENGARTNER-BENT EMAIL 7/20/05

D. KINGSTON 00211

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Summary
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1. (U) On July 14 and 15, G/TIP Reports Officer Rachel Owen
and WHA/PPC Senior Labor Advisor Michael Puccetti visited
Kingston to assess what actions the GOJ had taken to combat
trafficking in persons (TIP) in the 60-day grace period
following the June 1 publication of the 2005 TIP Report (Ref
A). Poloff accompanied Owen and Puccetti to all of their
meetings, which included non-governmental and international
organizations in addition to a meeting with National Security
Minister Peter Phillips, the GOJ's TIP Task Force, and a
visit to the office of the Jamaica Constabulary Force's newly
formed TIP Unit. Each meeting revealed recent or previously
undocumented anti-TIP actions on the part of the GOJ,
including police raids of several local establishments
suspected of human trafficking. Emboffs were very encouraged
at the conclusion of the two-day visit. End Summary.

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Background to the Visit
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2. (U) Jamaica was downgraded to Tier 3 status in the 2005
TIP Report, eliciting strong negative reactions from senior
GOJ officials. Following some posturing and disingenuous
finger-pointing, however, the GOJ appears to have begun
taking significant steps toward combating trafficking in
Jamaica. G/TIP Reports Officer Rachel Owen and WHA/PCC
Senior Labor Advisor Michael Puccetti traveled to Kingston on
July 14 and 15 to assess recent GOJ actions and to determine
whether sufficient effort has been made for the GOJ to be
upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List and avoid Tier 3 sanctions. A
Presidential Determination will be made in September.

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UNICEF and GOJ Collaborating to Implement Child Care Act
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3. (SBU) On July 14, Department visitors and Poloff met with
resident UNICEF officials, including Representative Bertrand
Bainvel, Child Protection Officer Rachel Verity Rushton, and
Program Coordinator Nada Marasovic. Bainvel explained that
UNICEF has worked closely with the GOJ, primarily through the
Ministry of Health's Child Development Agency, to protect
children in Jamaica and to educate the public on children's
rights and raise awareness of trafficking. Bainvel said
UNICEF has provided technical and financial support to assist
with the establishment of the Children's Advocate and
Children's Registry, both of which were mandated by the 2004
Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA). He added that UNICEF
has assisted in the drafting and production of 2,000 copies
of CCPA handbooks and the design of training modules that
will be used to educate approximately 1,000 adults and
children on the Act, which explicitly prohibits trafficking,
as early as August 2005. Bainvel further explained that
UNICEF had been approached recently by the Child Development
Agency (CDA) and the GOJ TIP Task Force to measure the scope
of trafficking in Jamaica, and to assist in the development
of an action plan to address the problem.

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PACT Says GOJ Embracing NGO Assistance on TIP
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4. (SBU) Later on July 14, Department visitors and Poloff met
with representatives of People's Action for Community
Transformation (PACT), a local USAID-funded NGO that recently
concluded a one-year program on TIP education. In attendance
were Program Director Sheila Nicholson, Consultant Hervin
Chung, and Claire Spence, FSN Deputy Office Director,
Kingston USAID Mission. Post is familiar with PACT's
activities over the past 12 months, but was interested to
learn of cases in which the GOJ acted of its own initiative
to request assistance from PACT in combating trafficking.
Chung reported that PACT had trained 23 new Jamaica
Constabulary Force (JCF) recruits at the police academy at
the request of Deputy Commissioner Jevene Bent, and that the
police had subsequently developed its own TIP curriculum for
all incoming officers. In addition, he said that the JCF had
requested to sit on PACT's consultative committee on TIP,
which meets monthly with civil society groups. Chung also
noted that the Bureau of Women's Affairs had developed its
own public education training on TIP, and had reached nearly
500 people at sessions held across the island. More
recently, Chung said, the Office of the Prime Minister had
requested a training session for its staff, and the
Immigration Division of the Ministry of National Security had
requested additional training. During its TIP project,
Nicholson reported that PACT had worked with local actors to
produce a video that will be used in future training sessions.

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Government Homes Protects Vulnerable Children
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5. (U) On the evening of July 14, Owen, Puccetti, and Poloff
visited Homestead, a Child Development Agency Place of Safety
in Kingston for girls between the ages of 14 and 18.
Accompanying Department visitors and Poloff on the visit were
Anne-Marie Bonner, Principal Director, Policy Analysis and
Review Unit, Cabinet Office; Alison Anderson, Chief Executive
Officer, Child Development Agency; Jennifer Williams,
Research Coordinator, Bureau of Women's Affairs; and Annette
Richards, Parish Coordinator, Victim Support Unit, Ministry
of National Security (MNS). Anderson explained that the
facility was different from a traditional shelter in that
children are remanded to places of safety by the courts and
are not permitted to leave until other arrangements can be
made. The home is protected by round-the-clock security and
razor-wire fences. Children are thus protected from
situations in which they were previously vulnerable to abuse
and exploitation, including commercial sex work. At the time
of the visit, sixty girls resided at the facility, which was
recently renovated and appeared in good condition. Owen,
Puccetti, and Poloff spoke briefly with the director of the
shelter, who explained that she had at least seven staff
members on duty at one time, including a full-time trained
counselor. The Child Development Agency maintains similar
places of safety in each of Jamaica's 14 parishes, said
Anderson.

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GOJ Task Force Outlines Recent Efforts to Combat TIP
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6. (SBU) On July 15, Department visitors and Poloff attended
a meeting with the GOJ's TIP Task Force, an interagency
working group formed in response to the 2004 TIP Report to
devise a national strategy to combat trafficking. In
attendance were representatives from nearly 10 government
agencies, including Gilbert Scott, Permanent Secretary, MNS;
Pamela Ingleton, International Organizations Department,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade; Karl Hamilton,
Security, Intelligence, and Operations Division, MNS; Osborne
Bailey, Senior Coordinator, Victim Support Unit, MNS;
Superintendent Devon Watkis, Superintendent of Police,
Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF); Charles Scarlette, Deputy
Commissioner of Police, JCF; Gladys Young, Counsel, Attorney
General's Office, Ministry of Justice; Marva Ximmines,
Director, Ministry of Labor and Social Security; Mary Clarke,
Director, Social Planning and Gender Unit, Planning Institute
of Jamaica; Audrey Budhi, Program Director, Child Development
Agency; and Jennifer Williams, Alison Anderson, and
Anne-Marie Bonner.


7. (SBU) In the area of prosecution, Deputy Commissioner of
Police Scarlette informed the group of the JCF's "zero
tolerance approach" to TIP, and described recent covert
operations that led to raids of at least three bars and
nightclubs in Portmore and Montego Bay, as well as the
closure of a notorious "sex market" in Culloden,
Westmoreland. Scott added that the Ministry of Justice plans
to introduce fast-track legislation specific to trafficking
in order to charge individuals in such cases. In the area of
protection, the Ministry of Labor explained that a pilot
program funded by UNICEF was focused on community-based
counseling and psychosocial support for local children. In
the area of prevention, the Child Development Agency reported
that it was disseminating details of the Child Care and
Protection Act to entertainment venues around the country,
and that hotlines were set up to be used for reporting
children's issues, including trafficking. Bonner added that
the GOJ was planning an event in August in Kingston's
Emancipation Park to sensitize the public to trafficking.
Further details of the recent actions taken by the GOJ to
combat TIP will be reported septel.

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National Security Minister Focused on TIP
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8. (SBU) At an appointment that had to be rescheduled on
short notice due to the approach of Hurricane Emily, Owen,
Puccetti, and Poloff met next with National Security Minister
Peter Phillips at the Ministry of National Security. Also in
attendance at the meeting, which lasted approximately 30
minutes, were Permanent Secretary Gilbert Scott; Grace Allen
Young, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health; Carol Palmer,
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice; Faith Innerarity,
Director of Social Security, Ministry of Labor and Social
Security; Charles Scarlette, Deputy Commissioner of Police;
George Williams, Assistant Commissioner of Police; and
Anne-Marie Bonner.


9. (SBU) Phillips opened the meeting by recounting some of
the complaints he had raised at a June 28 meeting with Charge
(Ref B), including concern over damage to Jamaica's public
image caused by the Tier 3 designation, and so-called
communication problems leading up to the downgrade to Tier 3.
However, he quickly abandoned his criticisms as "water under
the bridge" and moved on to concede that, when forced to
examine the issue, Jamaica had indeed identified "areas we
can address," including cases of suspected trafficking.
Offering that "if you go looking, (you can) find things you
didn't know were there," Phillips explained that two recent
police raids of nightclubs in Portmore, St. Catherine and
Montego Bay had turned up cases of suspected trafficking. He
deferred to Deputy Commissioner Scarlette for the details.
Scarlette did not offer specifics on the two raids, but said
that the JCF was employing a "multisectoral" approach to the
cases, using health department codes and liquor license
violations to shut down the some of the clubs that had been
raided. He added that a more recent, third investigation in
the parish of Portland had uncovered a minor working in the
commercial sex trade.

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GOJ Combating Cross-border Sex Trafficking
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10. (SBU) Phillips went on to say that, although it was not a
focus of the Department's 2005 TIP Report, the GOJ had
undertaken policy reviews of Jamaica's entertainment sector
with the goal of identifying and eliminating cases of
cross-border exploitation. Led by the Ministry of National
Security, Phillips said the review will include the Ministry
of Labor's work permit system and the Foreign Ministry's visa
policy. The Prime Minister, Phillips said, will not have
Jamaica's hospitality exploited; he does not want Jamaica to
become a center for the sex industry, which Phillips pointed
out often has links to narcotics and terrorism. Because the
success of the country's large tourist industry depends on
the safety and security of its visitors, Phillips said, the
GOJ is acting urgently to "prevent a permissive atmosphere"
in Jamaica. (Note: Prior to Owen and Puccetti's visit,
Phillips offered the cooperation of Dave Anderson, his
national security advisor, to discuss the matter of
cross-border trafficking with Post. Anderson subsequently
met with Post's DHS/BICE officer to share information and
collaborate on investigations.)


11. (SBU) Puccetti thanked Phillips for his views on TIP and
added that recent comments on trafficking by Information
Minister Burchell Whiteman in the Jamaica Gleaner were
constructive (Ref C). Phillips replied that the government
is trying to "mobilize the public consciousness" against
trafficking, calling the effort a struggle against "attitudes
that are permissive." He said that a lot of work was going
into the nation's children's homes, and that the Children's
Advocate would soon be appointed by the Child Development
Agency. Phillips added that the GOJ was considering omnibus
legislation that would incorporate the provisions of the UN
protocol on trafficking in persons into domestic law. In
closing, Phillips promised that the dialog on TIP would
continue.

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Veteran Detectives Selected for TIP Unit
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12. (SBU) Department visitors and Poloff next visited the
JCF's Organized Crime Investigations Division, from which two
officers, Detective Sergeant Allan Love and Detective
Sergeant Dorrett Brown, have been assigned to a specialized
"Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking Unit." Love is a
15-year veteran of the JCF, while Brown has served on the
force for 20 years. Both officers report to Deputy
Superintendent Osmond Wright, a 16-year JCF veteran currently
under the supervision of Superintendent Devon Watkis. All
three officers -- Love, Brown, and Wright -- have received
TIP training from the International Organization for
Migration, and Wright has attended a Department of Homeland
Security training session in Miami on child smuggling.
Within the Organized Crime Investigations Division, Love and
Brown have been given their own, shared office, which at the
time of the visit was furnished and appeared operational.
The team has so far established a mechanism for recording
trafficking investigations, but lacks a computer and other
resources that would make these processes more efficient.
During the meeting, Watkis specifically requested assistance
to ease the officers' system of data collection and
reporting. Poloff reported that Post was hopeful to be able
to provide assistance that would facilitate the work of the
new TIP unit and ensure its viability. (Note: Post submitted
a proposal to help fund the TIP Unit on January 24 (Ref D).
End Note.)


13. (SBU) Superintendent Watkis welcomed Owen, Puccetti, and
Poloff to the Organized Crime Unit and reported that the JCF
has raised its commitment to confronting TIP, and said that
he was aware that efforts should be strengthened in each of
the "three Ps: prosecution, protection, and prevention."
Watkis explained that the police had already identified
places that are centers of suspected trafficking activities,
including exotic clubs, massage parlors, and schools, where
students are often vulnerable to traffickers. He said that
the police already work with schools to educate students on
the risks of rape, sexual abuse, and kidnapping. In
Culloden, Westmoreland, Watkis said that his officers were
monitoring the activities of a notorious "sex market" that
serves as a job fair for young women from around the island
seeking employment in nightclubs, exotic clubs, and similar
business linked closely to the commercial sex industry. The
activities, Watkis reported, had been disrupted when police
shut down the operation for failing to meet minimum Ministry
of Health standards. He also said that the Bureau of Women's
Affairs had initiated vocational programs in the area to help
vulnerable young people develop employment skills.

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Comment
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14. (SBU) It is clear that the GOJ took very seriously the
visit of Owen and Puccetti to Kingston, as evidenced by the
impressive orchestration of one cabinet minister and
approximately 30 mid- and senior-level officials, including
permanent secretaries, who attended the meetings over two
days even while many businesses were shuttered in
anticipation of the approaching Hurricane Emily. The fact
that the very responsive Cabinet Office has assumed the
portfolio in recent weeks demonstrates attention to the issue
at the highest levels of the GOJ. The careful timing of
police raids was obviously intended to coincide with the
visit, but also demonstrates the GOJ's ability to get things
done when the political will exists. It also made it clear
that the JCF can coordinate covert investigations and take
appropriate action when the right pressure is applied.
Overall, the meetings gave the impression that a concerted
and well-organized interagency effort is being made within
the GOJ to increase efforts of prosecution, protection, and
prevention of trafficking in persons. Post will continue to
monitor the GOJ for follow-through on current commitments and
any further developments. End Comment.
TIGHE