US embassy cable - 05KINGSTON1449

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINGSTON 001449 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR (BENT), INL/LP (KBROWN, NBOZZOLO) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, KCOR, KCRM, JM, corruption 
SUBJECT: A SENIOR POLICE OFFICER DISCUSSES DEPORTEES, 
POLICE CORRUPTION AND RECENT CRIME PROTEST 
 
REF: A. KINGSTON 02867 
 
     B. KINGSTON 01337 
     C. KINGSTON 01349 
 
Classified By: Charge Ronald S. Robinson for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
1. Summary: In a June 3 meeting with Poloff, the head of the 
Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB), Assistant Commissioner 
of Police George Williams, concurred with one of the findings 
of an Embassy-funded study of deportees, acknowledged deep 
corruption within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), 
asserted that the May 25 Private Sector Organization of 
Jamaica's (PSOJ) protest against crime was "nice", and that 
extortion is "big business" in Jamaica.  End Summary. 
 
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Deportees Learned their "Trade" in Jamaica 
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2. In a recent media interview, Assistant Commissioner of 
Police (ACP) George Williams, head of the Criminal 
Investigation Bureau (CIB) told reporters that deportees were 
involved in many of the island's violent crimes.  What he 
failed to mention, however, is that these same deportees led 
a life of crime before entering the United States.  In a 
meeting on June 3, when Poloff asked Williams to elaborate on 
his statement, he said many of the deportees were either 
"leaders of gangs or very close to leaders before they went 
to the U.S." They are deported for one reason or another, and 
when they return they try to resume or gain control.  Many 
deportees face resistance, which has resulted in shoot-outs 
over turf and control of extortion rings. (Note: An 
Embassy-funded deportee study done by Dr. Bernard Headley of 
the University of West Indies in October, 2004, provided an 
academic analysis of certain myths surrounding deportees. 
Although the study was not intended to ascertain the extent 
to which deportees impact crime in Jamaica, the study did 
dispel the myth that deportees go to the U.S. at a young age, 
become "learned" criminals and return to Jamaica where they 
practice their criminal skills. (Ref A) End Note.) 
 
3. Williams stated that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) 
is unable to adequately monitor deportees due to a lack of 
resources, but he hopes that will change.  Over the past two 
years, CIB has requested a monitoring order for approximately 
twenty individuals.  The order, which lasts for one year, 
requires deportees to inform the police of where and with 
whom they will live and to report to the local police station 
under a monthly time-frame specified by the court.  Williams 
noted that amendments to the Fingerprint Act gives police the 
power to fingerprint and photograph deportees immediately 
upon their return to Jamaica if they were convicted of a 
crime in the U.S.  The CIB has not utilized the fingerprint 
legislation since it was enacted in April, 2005.  If the 
monitoring order is breached, the deportee is subject to 
criminal prosecution.  None of the deportees have breached a 
monitoring order. 
 
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Corruption in the JCF is Nothing New 
------------------------------------ 
 
4. On June 1, Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas told police 
officers at the 62nd annual Police Federation Conference 
that, "we have criminals among us.  It is not only corporals, 
sergeants and inspectors, it goes all the way up."  Thomas 
also alleged that intelligence, while insufficient to convict 
corrupt officers, has revealed that some officers are selling 
official ammunition, are involved in the illegal drug trade 
and share important information about police operations with 
criminals. 
 
5. Williams was very frank in stating that he appreciated 
Thomas' remarks and acknowledged that everyone in the JCF are 
aware of who the corrupt officers are.  Describing the extent 
of this knowledge, Williams stated "I could give you a list 
right now of corrupt officers that would be as long as my 
arm".  Expressing frustration, Williams said there is nothing 
we can do without hard-core evidence to convict."  It is the 
lack of evidence that has prevented the conviction of corrupt 
cops. 
 
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Extortion and the PSOJ 
---------------------- 
 
6. When asked to give his views of the Private Sector 
Organization of Jamaica's (PSOJ) May 25 crime protest, 
Williams stated that he shares the same view as many other 
individuals in Jamaica that the PSOJ crime protest and 
business lockdown is a good gesture but nothing will come of 
it. (Ref A).  He described extortion as being conducted and 
endorsed at every level in the business sector and claimed 
that it is not being reported. Williams stated that he has 
personally reached out to the business sector to get details 
on the perpetrators; however, the business sector clams up 
and he does not understand why.  When Poloff asked if it 
could possibly be due to the perception that corrupt 
policemen are involved in extortion, Williams acknowledged 
that this is a possibility in some inner-city areas, but that 
it is definitely not widespread. 
 
7. According to Williams, criminals use funds from extortion 
to purchase high-powered weapons.  The weapons are then used 
in various forms of criminality including taking the lives of 
police and ordinary citizens.  In what he sees as 
collaboration from the business sector, Williams stated that 
some businesses "actually choose to pay freely", thus they 
encourage it.  Unfortunately, CIB does not have firm evidence 
to prosecute extortionists as there are no witnesses to come 
forward and testify. 
 
8. Comment:  The allegation that deportees are the cause of 
an overwhelmingly large amount of crime in Jamaica will be 
kept alive so long as Jamaica continues to struggle with an 
escalating crime rate and an inability to deal with it.  The 
GOJ's insistence that deportees from the U.S., UK, and to a 
lesser extent Canada, are the cause of its crime problem, 
implies that other countries are to bear partial blame and 
responsibility for the state of crime in Jamaica. 
 
9. Corruption and extortion go hand-in-hand in Jamaica where 
private citizens do not know whom to trust and the government 
has not shown the will to address the problem.  Thomas' 
announcement was greeted with support from the government, 
opposition and the private sector, however, as is often the 
case, a lack of resources and initiative to draft and pass 
appropriate legislation to allow for the removal of corrupt 
officers will thwart any action in response to Thomas' 
proclamation. End Comment. 
ROBINSON