The Gleaner in its publication of Thursday, October 30, attributed this quote to me, Solving crime is not our job - Shields.
This piece and the sub-sequent negative comments suggest that despite the clarification of my statement by Dr Peter Phillips, the former minister of national security, and under whose tenure I was seconded from Scotland Yard, in last Saturday's Gleaner - some people appear to have no interest in the truth or in knowing exactly what I said, but prefer to draw their own negative connotations from a statement that was clearly taken out of context.
For those persons who have an interest in the truth, let me clarify my statement and put what I said to a reporter from The Gleaner into context:
To effectively tackle the crime problem in Jamaica, it is widely accepted that the functions of the JCF needed to be modernised with the aim of creating a First-World police service. A large part of my job has been to play a critical role in this modernisation process which will ultimately result in a reduction in crime. I am here to help build capacity within the organisation; to put in place structures and systems that are modern and effective and which can be replicated in all 14 parishes and thousands of communities in Jamaica. This will mean that, no matter where a crime takes place, the JCF would be consistent in approaching an investigation in a professional and accountable way. These measures will lead to a reduction in crime but will take time to implement and work.
Since 2004, much progress has been made. Standards of intelligence gathering and investigation are improving. The JCF now has the best scene of crime investigation capabilities in the Caribbean and is, for the most part, at a standard that is as good as anywhere in the world; the establishment of the Major Investigation Task force has significantly improved our capability to investigate murders and shootings; a similar programme is now being rolled out across the country. Developments in intelligence-led policing have assisted in developing a targeted approach within crime hot spots. The use of technology to increase our forensic capability and the use of proactive teams to tackle specific criminals are all parts of the work-in-progress.
Much work still has to be done and it will take time for the full benefits of this process of modernisation to be realised. All of this work will play a significant role in tackling the crime problem and giving the Jamaican people a police force of which they can be proud. I continue to play a critical role as DCP to ensure that all of these initiatives are delivered.
It needs to be made clear that, although I am in charge of the crime and intelligence portfolio, when we succeeded I have never sought any personal credit for any achievement because there would be no success without the effort and commitment to change the police service by every hard-working member of the JCF.
accountability
When things go wrong, through the media, the people of Jamaica rightfully ask questions about our accountability. I am always willing to make myself available to answer questions and acknowledge when we have failed to deliver the service people should expect from law enforcement, and to support my colleagues when they have been unjustifiably criticised.
I remain totally committed to that goal and will work tirelessly with my colleagues in the security forces, other key stakeholders and the community to reduce crime and violence in Jamaica.
I have consistently stated that no one person can solve the crime problem in Jamaica. We have a collective responsibility to achieve that aim. The police service is obviously a vital stakeholder but there are numerous other bodies and each has a critical role to play. Government agencies, non-governmental agencies, prevention of violence specialists and groups such as the Peace Management Initiative, working in a coordinated partnership, all have crucial parts to play. Above all though, it is the communities themselves, working with and alongside the police and other agencies that will ultimately solve the crime problem.
I reiterate that I cannot personally solve the crime problem in Jamaica; but within the JCF, I have a critical role to play in achieving that aim. I will also reiterate that the modernisation process within the JCF is ultimately critical in the fight against crime. As such, the two cannot be seen as being separate and apart.