JAMAICA'S NEW COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, REAR ADMIRAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINGSTON 001805 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS WHA/CAR FOR JTILGHMAN, INL/LP FOR BOZZOLO, BROWN E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2017 TAGS: SNAR ASEC PREL JM SUBJECT: JAMAICA'S NEW COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, REAR ADMIRAL LEWIN IS ALREADY MAKING WAVES REF: KINGSTON 1523 Classified By: CDA James T. Heg for reasons 1.4(b)&(d) ¶1. Summary: (SBU) In just his first week in office Commissioner Hardley Lewin, a former Rear Admiral in the Jamaica Defence Force, has set a completely different tone for the office. Cognizant of record murder rates and escalating violent crime, he deliberately eschewed a formal change of command ceremony in favor of quietly reporting for work on January 17, stating that "this country doesn't need one more ceremony, it needs me to go to work." He has already met with his senior staff and discussed his plans for changing the organization, and the need for them to prepare for a much more devolved management style. He has also sent several members on "long term leave" in anticipation of transfer. In his first meeting with his staff Lewin cautioned them that a lack of discipline, corruption, and poor performance will not be tolerated. Lewin is also actively participating in the Ministry of National Security's ongoing Strategic Review of the JCF, and wants to use the Review as a catalyst to push change throughout the organization. End Summary Tackling the Crime Monster ¶2. (C) One of Lewin's top priorities is to grapple with a spiraling murder rate, and an increase in other violent crimes, including some high-profile killings of JCF officers. When asked about this in a meeting with the NAS Director on December 19, Lewin outlined a multi-faceted long-term strategy to tackle Jamaica's crime problem. Stating that it is not just about "knocking heads" Lewin wants to change the "face" of policing in Jamaica. The Jamaica Constabulary Force, in his opinion, continues to hold on to the para-military structure and mentality present from its inception. In his view, when Jamaicans think about police, they think "corrupt criminals" and it is imperative that the Force take on board modern policing techniques that will begin to repair its relationship with the people it is supposed to serve and protect. Lewin understands that the JCF alone can not tackle crime, the Force must win the trust of the population to really be successful. In a press conference scheduled for December 20, Lewin intends to also call upon Jamaica's politicians and Civil Society to play a more active role in changing the current climate of violence and criminality. Not only does he hold the Force responsible for what has happened over the last 30 years, but he also believes that Jamaica's politicians and civil society have fostered if not encouraged criminal gangs and now, "the monster has outgrown the master." Community Policing ¶3. (SBU) Lewin used the term "community policing," in his discussion about Force change. However, in Lewin's view the current Community Policing Initiative has not produced the desired results because the Force has simply paid lip service to its tenants. In his opinion, it is not enough to have a Community Liaison Officer who will hand out sweets to kids, and sit in the police stations to hear complaints from citizens. Lewin understands that this will be a major "brain shift" for the vast majority of the Force, but he wants to institute a more professional, community-focused approach to policing from the top down and bottom up by revamping the Academy curriculum and insisting that senior and mid-level managers do more that just talk about community-based policing. Corruption ¶4. (C) In one of his first decisions as Commissioner, on January 17, Lewin approved and then circulated to all his senior staff the concept paper on Anti-Corruption prepared by the new Anti-Corruption Division Chief, Assistant Commissioner, Justin Felice. (Note: Felice, a British National, is one of five internationally recruited officers currently serving the JCF) As the former Chief of Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force, in his capacity as advisor to the Ministry of National Security, Lewin was involved in the conception of the Division from the beginning, and is an enthusiastic supporter of Felice. Lewin asked that the U.S. continue to work with Jamaica's other international partners to support the Division. (Details of the Division's plan to be discussed in Septel) Poor Performance ¶5. (C) There is often a fine and very blurry line between corruption and poor performance. Lewin does not plan to tolerate either. Sending a strong signal that it will not be "business as usual" in the JCF, in just his first week, Lewin has already sent several senior officers, including Assistant Commissioner of Police, Novelette Grant, the current Head of the Professional Standards Branch on "long-term" leave pending a transfer to another Division. In addition to Grant, whom Lewin discussed directly with NAS Director as a "problem," Lewin intends to move several other officers, who in his view simply have failed to perform. The previous Commissioner, according to Lewin, was much too involved in the day-to-day decision making of Force Operations, which created paralysis. Lewin's vision is to set the rules and policies and enforce performance but push out authority to Division Commanders. He agreed that this too will be a major "brain shift" for most officers, who have never been expected to think for themselves. He opined that "some will make it, some won't, the ones who don't will have to go." Recruitment Retention Discipline ¶6. (C) Lewin agreed with the NAS Director that the Force's current recruitment, retention, and discipline rules and regulations will have to undergo revision. However, he does not subscribe to his predecessor's view that the Commissioner of Police is currently powerless to deal with problem employees, but he is keenly aware that Jamaican courts are not a friendly forum for employment disputes. Lewin subscribes to the notion that you work quietly from within to remove poor performers or officers involved in questionable practices. If that fails, he would then turn the matter over to the Police Services Commission (PSC) for an administrative hearing. He shared with the NAS Director that it was his impression before taking the position that it was the PSC that was failing to act to remove poor performers. Once in the job, Lewin discovered that the PSC had been begging his predecessor for years to send it the Force's best cases so that it could remove under-performing members. Ministry of National Security's Strategic Review ¶7. (C) Lewin shared with the NAS Director that he met this week with the panel of experts for the Ministry of National Security's Strategic Review Committee. Lewin, unlike his predecessor, wants to actively participate in the review process and he intends to take the Committee's preliminary recommendations/questions/concerns back to his senior staff to get their input into the final report. Lewin wisely understands that unless the Force views this Review in a positive light and believes that the Review's recommendations have had Force input, he won't be able to use it as the catalyst for fundamental organizational change. He commented that it was the lack of Force-wide buy in to the PERF Report, for example, is why the NAS-funded Law Enforcement Development Advisor failed to achieve major change in the JCF. A Target on his Back ¶8. (C) Lewin has thus far made light of the threats against him, but his wife has shared her concerns about both the external and internal forces that they both have been warned about. Prior to his taking office, members of Lewin's Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) body-guard detail approached him to offer their services to guard Lewin and his family. Lewin has also been warned by current and former police officers and other JDF officer to avoid eating or drinking anything prepared or provided by his staff at JCF HQ. Lewin's wife firmly believes that she and their teenage daughter are targets and she is pressing Lewin to ensure that his contract (which is still under negotiation) includes adequate provision for both their personal security and the physical security of their home. A Question of Leadership ¶8. (C) Where Lewin's predecessor was guarded and often seemed overwhelmed by the demands of the position, Lewin, despite a burgeoning murder rate, rampant corruption, a lack of critical resources and credible threats against him and his family, appears confident and comfortable in command of the JCF. Lewin firmly believes that it is a question of leadership, the Force's past leaders have failed it and failed Jamaica. He intends to do better. JOHNSON