US embassy cable - 05KINGSTON1258

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINGSTON 001258 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA/CAR (BENT), INL/LP (KBROWN), DS/IP/ITA, DS/IP/WHA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2014 
TAGS: PREL, KCRM, SNAR, JM 
SUBJECT: JAMAICA: POLICE UNDER FIRE 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Thomas C. Tighe. Reasons 1.5 (b) and ( 
d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: In seperate incidents, between 9:00 p.m. on 
May 3 and 7:00 a.m. on May 4, three Jamaica Constabulary 
Force (JCF) officers and one private security guard were 
murdered while another JCF officer was injured in Kingston. 
Two of the alleged gunmen were shot and killed in one 
incident and the weapon recovered at that scene has been 
linked to the 14 month old murder of another JCF officer. 
The perpetrators for all of the shootings have been linked to 
the notorious Tivoli Gardens area "Shower Posse".  Although 
there is an ongoing investigation, no suspects have been 
apprehended and another "committee" is being created to look 
into the crime problem.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U) At approximately 9:30 p.m. on May 3, in front of the 
Canadian High Commission in Kingston, two gunmen on a 
motorcycle approached Corporal H. Chandler, a  Jamaica 
Constabulary Force (JCF) officer sitting at a traffic light 
in a marked vehicle, shot and killed him.  A JCF officer and 
a private security guard who happened to be nearby, gave 
chase and in the ensuing shoot-out, killed the two gunmen, 
one of whom has been identified as Christopher St. Aubyn 
Coke, aka "Royale", the brother of Michael Christopher 
"Dudus" Coke, a well known, JLP-linked "area leader" in West 
Kingston.  Over the next 24 hours, two additional JCF 
officers and one private security guard were killed.  Another 
officer was shot and injured while on patrol and in a 
separate brazen attack, Constable D. Brown was killed when 
gunmen opened fire on the Crossroads police station which is 
located in the downtown area near the Embassy.  No one has 
been apprehended in any of the killings. 
 
3. (C) NAS Law Enforcement Development Advisor confirmed that 
the JCF originally believed that these shootings are in 
retaliation for the fatal shooting of Tivoli Gardens gang 
leader, Donovan Griffith aka "Zion Train", by JCF officers in 
late April.  The police believe that the Tivoli Gardens 
"Shower Posse" gang is fulfilling a vow to retaliate against 
any security official - police, military and private security 
guards.   However, information Emboffs received through other 
contacts suggests that there was a direct hit put on Chandler 
because he was involved in drug related criminal activity. 
It is further alleged that the death of "Royale" is what 
prompted the Tivoli Garden gang's call for retaliation 
against any security official. 
 
4. (C) JCF investigators at the scene of Chandler's shooting 
recovered a Glock pistol belonging to either "Royale" or his 
accomplice.  RSO, the JCF and Miami ATF worked quickly to 
identify the weapon as one of several purchased by a 
Jamaican/American woman in Central Florida whose spouse is 
living in the U.S. despite having a criminal history. 
Through ballistic testing, the RSO has confirmed that this 
same weapon was used to kill JCF Senior Superintendent (SSP) 
Lloyd McDonald fourteen months ago.  Ironically, McDonald was 
gunned down about 100 meters from where Corporal Chandler was 
murdered.  The second weapon recovered from one of the 
deceased gunmen was SSP McDonald's service revolver which was 
stolen at the time of his murder. 
 
5. (U) The police expect the retaliatory killings to continue 
despite pleas from Opposition Leader Bruce Golding for calm 
in the Tivoli area, his constituency.  In response to the 
threat and subsequent killings, the police have initiated 
checkpoints in and out of the Tivoli Gardens area.  On May 5, 
the Prime Minster issued a call to "put aside all partisan 
considerations or selfish concerns and unite in the fight 
against crime," while the Minister of National Security 
stated that the criminals will be "tracked down and put away." 
 
6. (U) On May 6, in a joint statement issued by the Prime 
Minister and Leader of the Opposition Bruce Golding, the 
leaders expressed condemnation and abhorrence at the recent 
attacks on the police force.  They agreed that some 
communities would require the sustained presence and 
extensive searches by the police, undertaken on the basis of 
intelligence and not political considerations.  In addition, 
a Parliamentary committee to deal with security would be 
established to review the legislative framework in support of 
the work of the police. 
 
7. (C) Comment:  While members of the opposition and NGOs 
such as Jamaicans for Justice have called for the police to 
utilize restraint in responding to the "attack on police", 
post is surprised by what little has been said and done by 
both the People's National Party and the Jamaica Labour Party 
in response.  While an agreement to put together a 
parliamentary committee to deal with security issues is 
positive, it is yet another group of people looking at the 
same issue of an escalating murder rate (now over 580 since 
January 1), that shows no sign of abating.  End Comment. 
TIGHE