Jamaica PM says top cop's performance wasn't good enough

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Bruce Golding has admitted that his government had lost confidence in the ability of the now resigned Commissioner of Police, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, to deliver in the fight against crime.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, November 4, 2009 – Jamaica’s Prime Minister Bruce Golding has admitted that his government had lost confidence in the ability of the now resigned Commissioner of Police, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, to deliver in the fight against crime. But Golding revealed that based on the date on the resignation letter he received, the top cop had decided to leave the position even while he was giving the assurance that crime fighting would be intensified.

Lewin has remained tight-lipped about his departure a year before his contract expired, but the Prime Minister yesterday sought to explain the circumstances leading to that point.

During a statement issued in Parliament, Golding called into question the execution of police crime fighting strategies. He noted that in 2005, when Jamaica recorded the highest number of murders ever, there were a total of 1,674 – an average of 4.6 per day. Up to the end of October, 1,361 murders had been recorded, which translates into an average of 4.5 per day.

“We have sought, within the limits of the resources available, to provide every possible support to him (Lewin) and the force, especially in their efforts to combat the high level of crime and violence that is plaguing the country,” he said, although acknowledging the police still did not have all the resources they needed.

"But the inadequacy of resources and the time it is going to take you for transformation cannot be an excuse that you give people and say 'the murder rate has to get worse before it gets better'. The public of Jamaica is not interested in that sort of projection. They want actions and they are not satisfied that we are doing everything possible to get this crime rate under control. My own view is that not everything that is possible was being done, not everything that could be done was being done."

In chronicling the events surrounding Lewin’s resignation, Golding said that on October 12th, he met with the Chairman of the Police Service Commission and advised him that “the Cabinet was deeply concerned about the escalating level of crime, did not feel that the strategies being pursued were effectively addressing the problem and that it had lost confidence in the ability of the Commissioner to deliver the results that the country required”.

Those concerns were expressed to the entire Commission two days later and at the monthly meeting of the country’s National Security Council on October 21st, Golding said he requested that the police submit a strategic action plan to address the current crime wave and that the Commissioner should make himself available to discuss the matter with the Cabinet.

The Prime Minister said that on October 23rd he received a request from the Commissioner to meet with him and he did so that same day.

“I reiterated my concerns and expressed the view that the Police needed to be more assertive and proactive in its operations in order to reduce of the level of crime and restore a sense of calm to the country. We discussed the challenges posed by the itinerant nature of many of the crimes, especially murder, that were being committed and he assured me that within the next few days I would see an intensification of crime fighting activities,” he said.

Three days later, the police submitted the requested strategic operational plan. The Commissioner met with the Cabinet to discuss the matter and was told there needed to be a greater effort to reduce crime.

Golding said he was subsequently informed, on Sunday November 1st, that the Commissioner had tendered his resignation.

“I have since received a copy of the Commissioner's letter of resignation which is dated Tuesday October 20th 2009, three days before he met with me in my office on October 23rd,” he pointed out.

Prime Minister Golding contended that the strategies developed to deal with the problem of crime represent the professional competence and experience of the Commissioner and his senior personnel. He said while he did not question the validity of these strategies, it was the execution of those strategies that needed greater effort.

“No Commissioner of Police can be blamed for the crime that is plaguing us but it is the job of the Commissioner to mobilize the Police Force and all the resources at his command to bring the level of crime within tolerable limits,” Golding said.

“Commissioner Lewin has taken significant steps to stamp out corruption within the Force. He must be commended. Much more is left to be done and whoever succeeds him must continue that process vigorously and relentlessly. The organisational changes that he initiated must also be continued.”

When Lewin’s resignation takes effect on Friday, November 6th, Assistant Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington will act as Commissioner of Police until an appointment is made. The post will be advertised and applicants will be interviewed and investigated before a recommendation is made to the Governor General.

Prime Minister Golding revealed that preliminary discussions have been held between the Government and the Opposition regarding more far-reaching measures to transform the Police Force, but he said those discussions have not progressed as speedily as hoped.