Howard Campbell, Gleaner WriterA SPECIAL unit to track 'serious crimes' in Jamaica is being prepared for training and is expected to be functional
by the end of 2004, Assistant Commissioner of Police Lucius Thomas told The Sunday Gleaner last week. He refused to disclose the size of the unit but said personnel had already been earmarked by the police high command.
"We have identified people for training and the consultant group that will prepare them. We're pretty close to finalising everything," said Mr. Thomas. He also declined to give the name of the company contracted to prepare the unit but said it was an overseas organisation.
Following a flurry of kidnappings in early May, Superintendent Norman Gordon of the Organised Crime Investigation Division, told The Gleaner that serious consideration was being given to forming a special group within the Jamaica Constabulary Force to deal with such incidents. It would be similar to the kidnap force in Trinidad and Tobago which has reportedly had great success in stemming that country's kidnap rate, which had risen to serial proportions during the past eight years.
AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNIT
But Thomas says the unit-in-waiting will not be limited to kidnappings. "It's really an emergency response unit, not necessarily a kidnap unit. They will be equipped to negotiate hostage-taking which is different from kidnapping, and other serious crimes."
The establishment of this elite troop comes almost three months after three kidnappings took place within four days in Westmoreland, St. Andrew and St. Catherine. The first, on May 7, involved Lollette Salmon of Burnt Savannah, Westmoreland; her charred remains were found in Hanover one day after she was abducted by a group of men, shortly after she returned from picking up family at the Donald Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.
On May 10, social worker Lorraine English was kidnapped at the gate of her home in Craig Hall, St. Andrew. The next day, Portmore businessman Colin Largie was also abducted at his businessplace in that community. Mrs. English and Mr. Largie were released by their abductors on May 12. The police have made no arrests in any of these cases.
Existing police units include:
List of special teams in the
Jamaica Constabulary Force
Special Anti-Crime Task Force (SACTF)
Flying Squad
Fraud Squad
Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA)
Bureau of Special Investigations
Mediation Unit
Forensic Unit
Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID) This is comprised of several sections including a unit targeting gangs and extortion rackets; and the stolen motor vehicle unit.
