Mark Titus, Enterprise Reporter

Traffic cops on duty in Kingston. A shortage of traffic police is among the problems cited for inadequate patrolling of the nation's roads. - File

A MANPOWER shortage is crippling the Jamaica Constabulary Force's (JCF) traffic division's efforts to police Jamaica's roads in light of escalating fatal crashes and widespread indiscipline in major townships.

"One of our main problems is resource in numbers," head of the traffic division, Superintendent Fred Hibbert, tells The Gleaner. "Many years ago, we had far more people dealing with the traffic than we have today."

The public is also aware of the insufficient police presence to adequately manage traffic.

"Police are supposed to be the enforcers," says Brenda Parchment, a business operator in Spanish Town, St Catherine. "I believe that if they were more firm in enforcing the law, and a zero-tolerance approach is taken, there could be some improvement."

Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, who took the reins of the police force last December, has vowed to clamp down on crime, including targeting minor offences.

Efforts not convincing

But Parchment is not convinced those efforts are gaining traction.

"Things are totally different now. You will drive for miles without seeing traffic police to enforce the traffic laws and so undisciplined motorists have taken over our streets," she says.

"If we are to get this right, our police officers must start to send a message out to the motoring public that not even the slightest breach will be not be tolerated," Parchment adds.

Hibbert also cited a heavier workload, as cops were required to perform a wide range of duties outside the frame of general crime reduction.

"The amount of things we are required to do is quite enormous. Every single function, major event in the metropolitan area, every foreign dignitary (that visits Jamaica), we are involved," he says.

"This does take away from our traffic-management responsibilities, but we simply have to make do with what we have at this time," the traffic chief adds.

According to Hibbert, a forensic scientist who served at the CIB headquarters, the Government's forensic lab, and Mobile Reserve during his 30-year police career. His division is now on a drive to recruit persons to highway patrol.

"There are also technological drawbacks, as everyone is way ahead of us," he continues. "With all the technology that is going on, it's as if nothing has happened to us in Jamaica, and even though there are a lot of plans in place, we are now being left behind."

Hibbert, who replaced Ealan Powell as traffic czar earlier this year, says a new system to deal with corrupt traffic cops will be implemented soon.

"I believe that corruption must be dealt with firmly, and we will be putting a system in place that each officer has to account for his day's activity," he says. "This is done in most developed countries; police who work on the road have to give account for everything that they do."

mark.titus@gleanerjm.com

There is presently a manpower sgortage of traffic cops across the island.