ANGRY at public criticism of their failure to curb rising crime, senior police officers hit back yesterday, complaining about a $3-billion shortfall in the constabulary’s budget, a woeful shortage of equipment and the government’s failure to pass legislation to combat growing lawlessness.

The police needed approximately $1 billion immediately to pay for uniforms and to buy protective gear for the force’s more than 8,000 members, they said, and warned that with growing payment arrears some suppliers could soon cut off the constabulary.

The senior cops, who are members of the Police Officers’ Association (POA), also lined up behind the leadership of embattled police chief Francis Forbes, and argued that their organisation could not by itself be held responsible for ensuring law and order in a society of eroding values and lack of consensus on policing.

“The management of the JCF is united and committed to the cause of law enforcement and public safety and rejects the notion of any one individual within the JCF being made a scapegoat for the shortcomings of the society,” the POA’s chairman, Senior Superintendent Leon Rose, told reporters at a press conference.

Twice in his prepared remarks Rose made reference to a single individual being made a scapegoat for the state of crime in Jamaica, and he later confirmed that his reference was to Forbes, who has been in the job for seven years.

“The police commissioner is as much due representation as any other officer,” Rose, who is charge of the constabulary’s community relations programmes, told journalists.

In recent months Forbes, and the wider constabulary, has come under increasing criticism as homicides in Jamaica appear headed for record numbers this year.

Thirty-six persons were murdered in the island last week, pushing the murder tally well in to the 900s, which, at the current trend, will mean there will be about 1,350 homicides for 2004. This will surpass the previous record of 1,139 in 2001, and erode the combined 17 per cent reduction in homicides over the previous two years. There were 975 reported murders in Jamaica last year.

But Rose insisted that there was a large context in which Jamaicans had to view the problem of law enforcement.

One was the undervaluing or undermining of law enforcement functions, leading to anarchy and disorder.

“Our country is facing just such a grim prospect and it is not simply a police matter.”

Another was a lack of resources, stemming largely from the inadequacy of the constabulary’s budget and failure of the finance ministry to release what is promised.

“The Jamaica Constabulary Force made a request for a little over $11 billion (for the current financial year) and only $8 billion was approved,” Rose said. “Each month the money received is reduced and this significantly undermines operational capability.”

“As recently as this month the warrant from the Ministry of Finance was short by over $90 million.”

The actual allocation in the budget for the force’s recurrent spending is $8.38 billion, a 3.4 per cent decline on the previous year’s actual spending. The national security minister, Peter Phillips, has conceded that the allocation is inadequate but unavoidable given the government’s fiscal difficulties.

Novelette Grant, assistant commissioner of police and vice-chairman of the POA, said that such shortfalls made it difficult for the police force to do its job effectively and that the society needed to “understand the constraint under which we are working”.

We are doing the best we can with what we have,” she said.

Rose had said that the police urgently needed $271 million to provide uniforms for cops and another $654 million for operational and safety gear such as ballistic vests and helmets, handcuffs, tear smoke and batons.

The government recently announced the acquisition of scores of new vehicles for the police, but Rose said that of a fleet requirement of 1,500 cars it was short of 477, and of those available half were over 10 years old, costing between $250,000 and $300,000 per year to maintain.

Similarly, the police require 326 motorcycles but have 260, of which 75 per cent were at least seven years old. “The current motorcycle fleet is inadequate to meet the traffic and road policing needs of the country,” Rose said.

The police forensic lab was inadequate, in need of modern technology and staff upgrading “in order to constitute a proper crime lab”, while over 30 per cent of 179 police stations were in an advanced state of disrepair. In these circumstances, and with high stress, the average cop was required to work in excess of 60 hours per week.

“The constant negative criticism, regarding our effectiveness and inefficiencies without due regard to the broad socio-economic and political dynamics of the society, undermines the morale and confidence of members of the organisation,” said Rose. “Families of members are also affected when their loved ones are demoralised.”

Legislative failures which the police say hamper their capacity to fight crime

. Failure to introduce racketeering laws to deal with issues such as extortion and gangs.

. Failure to introduce promised plea bargaining legislation.

. Failure to amend the Fingerprint Act to make it current and relevant to present-day realities.

. Failure to amend the Road Traffic Act, making it mandatory for motorists to carry vehicle documents and identification in vehicles at all times and to supply proof of change of address during licence renewal.

. Failure to strengthen the Town and Country Planning Act to address growing disorder in community development.

. Failure to introduce legislation to make it mandatory that all hospitals and medical officials to report all crime-related injuries such as statutory rape, gunshot wounds, stabbings and cases of domestic violence.

Added Grant: “We are feeling battle weary when the basic tools of the trade are not available to us. It detracts from the strategic management of the force.”

Complaints the police have against the society

. Ambivalence towards law and order

. Breakdown in family and community cohesion leading to:

– increased levels of crime and

disorder in schools;

– large number of children on

the streets involved in

anti-social behaviour;

– lack of community approach

to rearing children.

. The rise of a culture of drugs,gangs and guns and corruption

– This problem runs across all social classes and education levels, and

– Undermines state institutions since allegiance is transferred to persons of dubious character.