RENATO Adams said yesterday that he has been receiving counselling in the two years he has been suspended from the police force, but is willing to do more if that is required by the constabulary.

Adams, the controversial senior superintendent, and five of his subordinates in the Crime Management Unit, were this week acquitted of murdering four people – including two women – in the village of Crawle, Clarendon, in early 2003.

After leaving the courts on Tuesday, Adams talked about an early return to the streets to confront criminals, but was greeted with a statement by police chief Lucius Thomas that officers who have been away from the job have to undergo counselling and psychological evaluation before reinstatement.

There was no time period for these, Thomas indicated.

Adams told the Observer that he did not know of the police policy but said: “Of course, we will do counselling, any council that the commissioner recommends. You have to understand this was a traumatic experience for us too.

“I mean, even going into the house and seeing that there were women there, really was hard for us to handle and knowing that people lost their lives and that we ourselves nearly lost our lives was also traumatic.”

Adams claimed to have been undergoing counselling of his own accord.

The stress of his police job, he said, demanded that he speaks to someone on a regular basis.