US embassy cable - 05KINGSTON2290

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINGSTON 002290 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL/LP (BOZZOLO), WHA/CAR (BENT), WHA/PDA, STATE 
ALSO FOR CA/OCS/ACS/WHA (BRANSON), DOJ FOR OPDAT/RLIPMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2014 
TAGS: SNAR, PREL, KCRM, ASEC, JM 
SUBJECT: JAMAICA: CRIME ROUND-UP FOR SEPTEMBER 
 
 
Classified By: Mark J. Powell for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
Topics: 
 
-- Crime Statistics - No good news here 
-- Mountain View Violence - Nothing but Politics 
-- Aircraft Carrying Marijuana Seized 
-- Soldier Arrested for Illegal Possession of Marijuana 
-- Extraditions from Jamaica 
-- Haitian Migrant Update 
-- JCF Officer Commits Murder, then Suicide 
 
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Crime Statistics - No good news here 
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1. (U) Statistics compiled by the Jamaica Constabulary Force 
(JCF) for the period January 1 through October 2 reveal that 
1,266 murders were compared to 1,078 committed during the 
same time period in 2004.  Of the 1,266 murders victims, 
Sixteen were children, ten were police officers and one 
victim was a British tourist killed in Montego Bay. 
 
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Mountain View Violence - Nothing but Politics 
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2. (SBU) A flare up of violence in the largely JLP affiliated 
Mountain View area in East Kingston between September 21 and 
30 has resulted in the RSO restricting travel for U.S. 
Embassy personnel and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) 
implementing a dusk-to-dawn curfew for the area.  Between 
September 25 and 28, two women were killed and one infant was 
shot and is currently in critical condition.  In addition to 
the shootings several homes were set on fire. 
 
3. (C) On September 28, head of the Peace Management 
Initiative, Bishop Herro Blair met Deputy Commissioner of 
Police Mark Shields, Opposition Spokesperson for National 
Security Derrick Smith, and community representatives to try 
to get the violence under control.  Blair, accompanied by 
political leaders and other activists led a peace march 
through the community on September 29.  The upsurge in 
violence breaks a fragile calm that has been in place for the 
past year.  The JCF has attributed the violence to a reprisal 
for an earlier shooting on September 6, the date on which the 
Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) organized a day of nation-wide 
protest.  Residents from one Mountain View neighborhood did 
not take part in the protests and this was seen as a sign 
that they had switched allegiance to the People's National 
Party (PNP).  According to the JCF, these shootings, along 
with the burning of at least nine residential units is 
intended to solidify the community under JLP leadership. 
 
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Aircraft Carrying Marijuana Seized 
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4. (U) A twin-engine aircraft containing over 900 pounds of 
ganja was seized at the Holland Sugar Estate in Lacovia, St. 
Elizabeth on Friday, September 16.  Jamaica Constabulary 
Force (JCF) Narcotics Division Acting Director, Clayton 
Wilson informed NAS Director that the joint operation with 
the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) resulted in the arrest of 
Bradley McKany, a Bahamian National.  The pilot and several 
other individuals that were seen loading drugs onto the plane 
escaped.  The aircraft is registered to Sears Bertram Inc., a 
U.S. company that operates out of Delaware. 
 
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Soldier Arrested for Illegal Possession of Ammunition 
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5. (U) Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Sergeant John Allen was 
arrested on September 14 after a joint operation by the JDF 
and the JCF Organized Crime Division led to a find of 
approximately 500 rounds of ammunition at Allen's residence. 
Allen has since been discharged from the JDF and is awaiting 
trial. 
 
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Extraditions from Jamaica 
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6. (U) Embassy Kingston U.S. Marshals Office coordinated the 
extradition of Sidique Mohammed (citizen of Trinidad and 
Tobago) to the U.S. on September 8.  Mohammed is wanted in 
California for a 1988 escape while he was serving a seven 
year sentence on a cocaine distribution charge.  Upon his 
escape, Mohammed traveled extensively throughout the 
Caribbean and made Jamaica his new home.  Using fraudulently 
obtained Jamaican birth certificates and passports to 
establish a new identity, Mohammed worked as the manager at 
two small hotels in Montego Bay for several years until his 
arrest by the Jamaican Fugitive Apprehension Team (JFAT). 
 
7. (U) Michael Abernathy was released from prison in St. 
Catherine after serving a twelve-month sentence on a drug 
charge.  Abernathy is wanted in North Carolina for a parole 
violation on an original drug charge.  Abernathy was deported 
to the U.S. on September 8. 
8. (U) There are currently 21 defendants in custody in 
Jamaica pending extradition to the United States.  Their 
cases are at various stages of court proceedings and appeals. 
 
 
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Haitian Migrant Update 
---------------------- 
 
9. (U) Fifteen men and four women were rescued by Jamaican 
fisherman near Hectors River, Jamaica on September 21.  The 
Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) collected twenty identity 
cards, but detained nineteen people.  Either one Haitian 
escaped detention or was lost at sea.  The migrants have been 
transferred to the Winnifred Rest Home in Portland for 
immigration and health screening.  They will then join the 
forty remaining Haitians at the Montpelier, St. James refugee 
facility.  This will bring the number of Haitian migrants in 
Jamaica to 59. 
 
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JCF Officer Commits Murder, then Suicide 
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10. (U) On September 10, a Jamaica Constabulary Force 
corporal who was on interdiction (suspension) for two years 
for an assault charge brought by his girlfriend, shot her 
sixteen times with his licensed firearm and then shot himself 
in the head.  Both died at the scene.  Post's Law Enforcement 
Development Advisor (LEDA) stated that the girlfriend 
complained to police several times about the physical abuse 
and threats from the corporal; however, there was no policy 
in place to deal with domestic violence issues within the 
force.  As a result of this incident, Commissioner of Police 
Lucius Thomas asked LEDA to prepare a comprehensive model 
policy on domestic violence involving police officers, which 
is currently under review. 
ROBINSON