Hardley Lewin, Jamaica's Police Commissioner, Resigns Over Frustrations with Rising Crime Rates

As if things couldn't get any worse for Jamaica, it's police commissioner Hardley Lewin has resigned, as the island struggles to reduce it's murder rate, that is one of the highest in the world. I am pained by this because Jamaica is such a beautiful place, but it has been dogged by so many social and political issues over the years that I have to take the position that if it was still actively governed by the British government, things would be far different. This news comes as the island has balked at the U.S. Justice Department's request that reputed Jamaican drug kingpin Christopher "Dudus" Coke be turned over to the U.S. to face charges filed in New York.

Hardley Lewin leaves (NY Gleaner cartoon)

The statistics are damning for such a small island. More than 1,200 homicides have been reported in Jamaica through September, and officials have said homicides have risen dramatically in recent weeks. Gang violence is blamed for 90 percent of the slayings on the island of three million people. Lewin was appointed commissioner in 2007 after 30 years in the Jamaican military. He resigned Sunday night and Vaz said Monday that Lewin's successor will likely be named this week. He was literally forced out of office by an establishment that didn't want an "army man" running the police department. It's a real shame that a good and dedicated public servant was forced to throw in the towel.

Equally damning for the island is that fact that Lewin is the second high-level person who has resigned in a short period of time.  The sudden resignation of Bank of Jamaica governor Derick Latibeaudiere, plus the Triple C (with a negative outlook) downgrade by Standard & Poor's of the island's long-term foreign and domestic currency ratings yesterday can't possibly help the cause of Prime Minister Bruce Golding. The S&P said it's reason for taking such a drastic move was based mainly because of the resignation of Latibeaudiere, who was the country's lead negotiator for the International Monetary Fund standby facility. Many Jamaicans view Mr. Latibeaudiere with a great deal of skepticism. In some circles, many are glad that he resigned because they felt he was very ineffective and didn't have the best interest of the island at heart.

This latest development with S&P, Lewin and Latibeaudiere, also comes with the recent disclosure that the Jamaican government has balked at the U.S. request to hand over a suspected crime boss, Christopher "Dudus" Coke," with ties to Jamaica's governing party amid reports that he is stockpiling weapons in his Kingston stronghold to prevent arrest. Coke, the alleged leader of the "Shower Posse," has been identified by the U.S. Justice Department as one of the world's most dangerous drug kingpins and allegedly controls a band of gunmen inside Tivoli Gardens, a rough neighborhood in Kingston.

Coke, the son of the late "Shower Posse" don, Lester Lloyd Coke, aka ‘Jim Brown,’ has been charged in the U.S. Southern District of New York with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana and conspiracy to illegally traffic in firearms. Coke, 40, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted. U.S. authorities allege, that under Coke's direction, "Shower Posse" members have sold marijuana and crack cocaine in the New York area and elsewhere and funneled profits back to him. It seems that the government is deliberately stalling by requesting more information about the gun and drug trafficking charges against this man. Prime Minister Golding & Co. need to remember that America is one of the island's staunchest supporters and there is a mutual extradition treaty in place.

There has been a culture of corruption in certain pockets in Jamaica, especially in the ranks of the police department where there have been frequent allegations of corruption, that must be eradicated if the country wants to reduce its crime rates. Crime is exacerbated by the fact that police are understaffed and ineffective. The vast crime majority of the crime occurs in impoverished areas, but the violence is not confined. The crime rates of Jamaica are higher than Guatemala, Venezuela, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and the United States.

Jamaica has given the world so much -- reggae and its ambassadors such as the great Bob Marley; tourist areas second to none; native dishes that are unrivaled, trailblazing athletes such as Usain Bolt, Donald Quarrie, Merlene Ottey, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Shelley Ann Fraser and so many others. Surely we cannot allow this island to sink into the depths of economic chaos. We must all rally behind the prime minister and say enough is enough. It is time to take back Jamaica from the thugs running around. It is time to implement programs that will help its citizens find gainful employment. It is time to change the mindset of the government and end the culture of corruption that emboldens criminals to run things.