FORCE CLEANING ... One cop at a time

Arthur Hall, Senior News Editor

Buoyed by the United States (US) acknowledgement of its efforts to rid the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) of corrupt cops, the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has moved to clarify claims that half the number of police officers who voluntarily took lie-detector tests in the first eight months of 2013 failed.

In its 2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report released recently, the US State Department praised the ACB for its work, while noting the difficulties it faces.

That came days after the global human-rights watchdog Amnesty International, in a publication titled 'The Jamaica 2013 Human Rights Report', charged that up to August last year, 95 of the 190 police officers who opted to take lie-detector tests did not pass or complete the test.

Amnesty also claimed that it was unable to determine whether Police Commissioner Owen Ellington would discipline those officers who failed the test.

But in an extensive interview with The Sunday Gleaner last week, head of the ACB, Assistant Commissioner Selvin Hay, said the Amnesty report contained errors of fact and did not reflect the work of the Polygraph Department which falls under his unit.

"Three hundred and eighteen polygraph tests were done in 2013, and only 80 were forensic which could result in a pass or fail. The others were vetting tests and those do not have a pass or fail result." said Hay.

"Of the forensic tests, more than half of the persons were successful," added Hay.

He noted that forensic polygraph tests were done as part of criminal investigations while the vetting tests, which are the majority, are done for various reasons.

"These include screening persons for promotion, placing persons into sensitive posts such as the National Intelligence Bureau, and sending persons on crucial overseas assignments, such as with the FBI (Federal Bureau of Intelligence) in the United States."

According to Hay, random vetting of new recruits is also done, with plans to increase this to all recruits.

SENSITIVE POSTS

"While there is no pass or fail for the vetting polygraph tests, there can be concerns and persons might not be promoted or placed in a sensitive posts. Persons who represent the JCF in senior or sensitive posts must be vetted to the highest level," declared Hay, as he noted that cops have a right to refuse the vetting test.

Hay added that polygraph testing is one of many measures used to vet members of the force before they are promoted.

BACKGROUND CHECKS

"While polygraph is an important tool, we also use measures such as background checks, and have persons appear before an Ethics Committee which is made up of four senior officers," said Hay.

"Polygraph tests have served us very well, and while it has given the commissioner ammunition to act against some persons who are not facing criminal charges, it has also saved the careers of several members of the force who have been the subject of innuendos and allegations.

"The results of the vetting programme have resulted in the removal of those who need to be removed," added Hay, who makes no secret of his resolve to rid the force of corrupt cops, even though this is a painful process.

The ACB boss noted that the commissioner has several measures which can be implemented against persons who fail a forensic polygraph test or whose vetting test results raise concerns.

These include not renewing the contract of persons whose performance on the test is unsatisfactory.

Some 490 police personnel have resigned or have been dismissed for corruption or ethical violations since the ACB was formally established in 2008; 36 of those were removed last year.

Another 50 officers faced criminal corruption charges during the year.

So far this year, the ACB has arrested 18 persons, including 10 members of the force. Eleven of those arrested have been charged while others are with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for a ruling.

Only last week, seven cops who allegedly accepted money to not prosecute a man who was found with ganja last year had their bails extended when they appeared before the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court.

The seven policemen are charged with extortion, corruptly soliciting money, corruptly accepting money, and aiding and abetting.

It is alleged that in late November 2013, they solicited and accepted $300,000 from a businessman, in exchange for not prosecuting him for a quantity of ganja that was found on his premises during an operation in Montego Bay, St James.