The new Commissioner of Police, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, if he didn't, should have won plaudits for the plans and broad vision for the constabulary which he unveiled at his first press conference last week.

But, as Admiral Lewin knows only too well, statements of intent are not themselves action, whatever may be the assumption of too many of Jamaica's public officials. Or, put another way, the commissioner's job is now to translate the words he uttered last Thursday into practical deeds.

There is little doubt that we exist in Jamaica in a deep sense, if not an absolute fact, of insecurity. Nearly 1,600 homicides in a year and a murder rate of over 60 per 100,000 are more than sufficient to concentrate people's minds on their state of insecurity. Put baldly, we are afraid in Jamaica.

Admiral Lewin, therefore, should be under no illusions about the context within which he has assumed his job, and the expectation Jamaicans have of him. People, in the first instance, want to feel safe. And, it would help greatly if there were fewer murders and if more of those who commit murder were caught and brought to justice.

Admiral Lewin has made it clear that he brings to the job no magic wand. His, the commissioner has suggested, will be a programmatic approach with measurable targets. He intends to hold people accountable.

Among Rear Admiral Lewin's proposals is the rationalisation of police stations, thereby removing more officers from administrative duties and freeing them to go on the front line against crime on the streets of Jamaica. The commissioner's logic on this issue is unassailable.

He points, for instance, to the case of five or so police stations within a radius of four or five miles, but none of them with the capability of offering significant service. Consolidation, perhaps, would allow for the creation of a single station with real capacity to deliver service. We suggest, too, that Admiral Lewin consider inviting community volunteers to fulfill some administrative functions at police stations, again, freeing cops for direct action in the fight against crime.

The intention to decentralise the management of the police force, giving greater autonomy to regional commanders and holding them accountable, is eminently sensible. We, however, remind Admiral Lewin that one of his recent predecessors, Mr. Francis Forbes, made a similar promise. There is little evidence, though, that the strategy was enforced.

But, the commissioner recognises that little can be achieved in the absence of public trust in the constabulary, and if the institution continues to perceive itself as a paramilitary force whose policing is based on coercive force rather than societal consent. In this regard, his plan to focus on eradicating corruption from the constabulary and reorienting its mission is welcome.

But, as they say, action speaks louder than words. We will be watching for the action. We wish the commissioner luck on the assumption that he has the will.