…new crime chief urges greater dedication, timely completion of probes by detectives

NEW Deputy Commissioner “Law Enforcement “(DCLE), Lyndon Alves, on Sunday warned detectives against acts of corruption and also laid emphasis on timely completion of investigations.

Alves was at the time meeting with all the CID ranks from Divisions A,C,&D and Headquarters, as well as all the Divisional Detective Officers (DDOs ). In a terse statement, the police said during his engagement with the detectives, Alves outlined his vision in moving the Criminal Investigations Department forward.

Among the issues he said must be tackled are: the stamping out of corruption, commitment and dedication to the job and timely completion of crime files/ investigations. The meeting was held at the Police Officers Training Centre,Camp Road and Young Street, Eve Leary.

President David Granger had said recently that the Police Act section 3 (2) tasks the police force with the prevention and detection of crime, the preservation of law and order, preservation of the peace, the repression of internal disturbance, due enforcement of all laws and regulations and the apprehension of offenders. President Granger said that the GPF can fulfil these tasks effectively, only if it is commanded by officers who are competent, committed and incorruptible. “The force’s most senior officers must be men and women of proven independence, integrity and intelligence. The force must be able to enjoy the trust of the public,” he said.

The Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces also said that the public’s trust in the police force and the need for Security Sector Reform have become more urgent, following presentation of the report into the circumstances surrounding the killing of eight miners at Lindo Creek, on or about the 21st day of June 2008, commonly referred to as the Report of the Lindo Creek Commission of Inquiry. “That Report raised troubling questions about the role of the defence and police forces during the ‘troubles’ and the reticence of the political administration of the day to provide useful evidence to the Commission of Inquiry into the massacre. The ‘troubles’ was a dark period in our country’s history. The inability of the police to arrest the outbreak of criminal violence quickly led to the emergence of so-called ‘phantom’ death squads. The ‘troubles’ revealed, also, how drug lords had infiltrated the force.

“ The ‘troubles’ exposed the influence of a small but influential group of rogue officers. It revealed the need for more careful selection of officers and improved intelligence-gathering. The recommendations in the report will be acted upon in due course. The days of concealing security sector mistakes and misdeeds are over. The force’s officers will be held accountable for the consequences of their actions and for the instructions they issue to their subordinates,” he said.