JAMAICA: THE ALMOST RESIGNATION OF COMMISSIONER OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINGSTON 000566 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR WHA/CAR TILGHMAN STATE FOR INL/LP BOZZOLO BROWN E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2018 TAGS: SNAR PREL JM SUBJECT: JAMAICA: THE ALMOST RESIGNATION OF COMMISSIONER OF POLICE HARDLEY LEWIN REF: A. WHA ASDAR - JUNE 3 ¶B. KINGSTON 564 Classified By: Charge James T. Heg, for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) ¶1. Summary: (C) On June 2, Commissioner of Police Hardley Lewin tendered his resignation, setting off a firestorm of protest from Jamaica's international partners, the Jamaican Police Services Commission, the general public, and some elements of the Police Force. (Ref A) According to Lewin, the action was not a bluff, he was fully prepared to walk. It was only after the June 3 closed door session with the Services Commission, at which the Commission outlined in the strongest terms the disaster his leave-taking would cause, that he withdrew his resignation. End Summary. ¶2. (C) On June 22, the NAS Director had an opportunity to sit down with Lewin for the first time since his resignation. Unlike in previous meetings, Lewin, who tends to be quite animated and is usually optimistic, was subdued. Despite the fact that the meeting occurred only two days after Lewin's return from a week-long vacation, Lewin also seemed exhausted. He shared with NAS that his decision to resign came after weeks of "oblique" public lambasting by the Prime Minister and his surrogates, such as the owner of Jamaica's Daily Observer newspaper, Gordon 'Butch' Stewart, that accused Lewin of failing to act to stop the recent increase in violent gang-related crime. (Ref B) Lewin stated that he was also just fed up with the actions of certain restive members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force's officer corps, who are supporters of the ruling Jamaica Labor Party. These officers, according to Lewin, have complained bitterly, directly to the Prime Minister that Lewin has not promoted them for their loyalty. Lewin stated that when he took the job of Commissioner he expected corrupt members of the officer corps to attempt to sabotage him. However, this politically motivated menace caught him off guard. ¶3. (C) Lewin and Prime Minister Golding have had a difficult relationship since 2005, when the Jamaica Defence Force, under Lewin's command, led a raid into the Tivoli Gardens section of Kingston. At the time, Lewin, aptly described Tivoli, which is part of Golding's constituency as "the mother of all garrisons." Golding, in defense of his constituency, in turn accused Lewin of playing politics in support of the then ruling People's National Party, for at the time election rumors were in the air. In January, 2008, again under Lewin's command, this time as Commissioner of Police, Jamaican Security Forces conducted a joint police/military operation inside Tivoli Gardens. The UK and Canadian High Commissioners that Golding may still bear a grudge against Lewin for these operations and that this grudge is coloring Golding's decision making. ¶4. (C) On June 21, the UK High Commissioner, Jeremy Creswell informed the Canadian High Commissioner, the NAS Director and ICE Attache that there seems to be a "cabal" within Prime Minister Golding's Government that still wants Lewin out. According to Creswell, immediately after Lewin's decision to remain as Commissioner, James Robertson, Minister without Portfolio, Office of the Prime Minister, requested a private meeting with Creswell. During the meeting, Robertson, who is believed to have links to criminal organizations, expressed his fury over Lewin's decision to stay, and criticized members of the Services Commission for persuading Lewin to withdraw his resignation, calling them the UK's friends. Creswell told us that he was surprised by and still unsure of the purpose of Robertson's visit. Creswell's analysis of an anti-Lewin sentiment within the Golding administration is shared by the Canadian High Commissioner. ¶5. (C) Ministry of National Security Senior Advisor on Policy, Ann Marie Barnes, had previously informed the NAS director that Prime Minister Golding never wanted Lewin in the job and only took him when it became clear that there was no international support for his chosen candidate, Assistant Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington. (Note: Ellington, who is considered by many to be an intelligent and capable officer, is suspected of having links to criminal organizations. The Assistant Commissioner of Police for Anti-Corruption, Justin Felice, a British officer seconded to the JCF, informed NAS that based on a request from Commissioner Lewin, he has pulled together a file on Ellington's extra-curricular activities. On June 22, Lewin stated that he plans to call Ellington in to discuss his future with the JCF. According to Lewin, Ellington needs to decide whether he wants to be a police officer or something else.) ¶6. (C) When asked, Lewin also shared with the NAS Director his ongoing difficulties with the current Minister of National Security Trevor MacMillan. (Note: Lewin and MacMillan served together in the Jamaica Defence Force, and at one time in the early 1990s MacMillan was Police Commissioner.) Lewin stated that MacMillan "had his shot at being Police Commissioner," and Lewin is not interested in having MacMillan micro-manage the JCF. According to Lewin, MacMillan needs to worry about the broader, big-picture decisions that he needs to be making as Minister of NationalQQ Security and necte the JCF alona.$ On June 3, the day LewafQ withdrew0hic0recywnationQ MacMIllaNQalong with`4(e JDF`C(ief of Staff Saunders and Ministry ofQ everyone's sagging confidence in the face of a deteriorating security situation. End Comment. HEG