POLICE Commissioner Lucius Thomas, under pressure to tame the monster of crime, yesterday announced the transfer of 36 of his senior officers to various divisions across the island. In his most comprehensive reshuffle since assuming leadership of the Constabulary Force in February 2005, Thomas said the transfers would take effect March 6, 2007.

From Police High Command headquarters, Thomas announced he was shifting around two senior superintendents, 16 superintendents, 16 deputy superintendents and two inspectors.

The depth of the transfers appeared to reflect grave concerns about the hot pace of murders, including the killing of six police officers in six weeks, that has characterised the start of the year.

St James, which has earned the dubious distinction of being the murder capital of Jamaica, took centre stage in Thomas’ reshuffle, again betraying concerns in the tourist industry that rising crime could chase visitors away from the north coast resort havens.

St Thomas crime chief, Superintendent Steve McGregor is being dispatched to take control of the St James Police Division, from which has come some of the bloodiest multiple murders in recent time. But McGregor was upbeat when he spoke with the Observer as he emerged from the meeting with Thomas at 103 Old Hope Road, St Andrew.

“I’m going there to offer inspired leadership to the men and women who are working hard in St James, and to set up a good network with the community of Montego Bay,” McGregor said.

But he was cautious about disclosing his crime plan for St James, telling reporters only that “we have something on the drawing board that cannot be disclosed at this time”.

McGregor, who will be replaced in St Thomas by Deputy Superintendent Marlon Nesbeth, will be supported in St James by Deputy Superintendent Mevral Smith of the St Catherine North Division and Deputy Superintendent Ralsford Hardie of the Kingston Central Division.

Smith told the Observer that he was not intimidated by the tough reputation St James had recently taken on.

“Coming out of St Catherine North, I wouldn’t say it is a hotbed (when you are) coming out of the Corporate Area, which is really a hotbed… So I know what it takes in going there,” he commented.

According to police statistics, the St Catherine North Division, which includes Spanish Town, recorded 146 murders last year, while St James, particularly the capital, Montego Bay, recorded 176, representing over 10 per cent of the national total of murders committed last year.

Criminal activity in Montego Bay, which has had a brisk start in the new year, has been linked by police to inter-gang- related activity, as well as infighting among members of existing gangs.

Transferred out of St James were Superintendent Warren Clarke, Deputy Superintendent Michael Scott, Deputy Superintendent Rudolph Taylor and Detective Inspector Paul Bernard who went to the Area 4 Headquarters, Kingston Western Division, Mobile Reserve and St Elizabeth respectively.

Among the other big names shuffled by Thomas is Superintendent Newton Amos of the Hunts Bay Police Station who was transferred to the Area 5 Headquarters. Amos had a short-lived stay in St James prior to going to Hunts Bay.

Superintendent Derrick ‘Cowboy’ Knight was transferred from Clarendon to be Amos’ replacement at Hunt’s Bay, a little under a year since being posted in the mid-island parish.

He previously worked for over 12 years in the St Andrew South Division alongside Amos and was himself upbeat about his new assignment.

“I am going there to build partnerships, build relationships and hope that we can deal with the scorpion that is affecting the area, the scorpion of crime and violence,” Knight said.

Knight was also full of compliments for his successor Superintendent Radcliffe Lewis who was already assigned to the May Pen Division.

“He has been in the division for over five years. He knows the area very well and has been working with the people in the parish. I want to wish him all the best. He is up to the challenge,” said Knight.

Among other notable transfers were those of Superintendent Michael James of Manchester who went to the Mobile Reserve, Superintendent Dennis Watt of the Special Anti-Crime Task Force who went to St Mary, Deputy Superintendent Derrick Champagnie of Kingston Central who went to St Catherine North, and Inspector Duetress Foster-Gardner who left the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse for the St Catherine South Division.

Along with Foster-Gardner, two other women police officers – Senior Superintendent Jasmine Tomlinson-Brown, from Area 1 HQ to Area 3 HQ and Superintendent Patricia Colbourne-Whyte, from the Jamaica Police Academy to St Ann – were also on the transfer list.

OFFICERS TRANSFERRED:

From – -To

. Senior Superintendent Jasmine Tomlinson-Brown Area 1 HQ -Area 3 HQ

. Senior Superintendent Ray Palmer

St Ann -Area 4 HQ

. Superintendent John Morris Area 1 HQ -Area 2 HQ

. Superintendent Dezeita Taylor Westmoreland -Area 1 HQ

. Superintendent Glenford Hudson

St Andrew North -Area 3 HQ

. Superintendent Newton Amos St Andrew South -Area 5 HQ

. Superintendent Warren Clarke St James -Area 4 HQ

. Superintendent Michael James Manchester -Mobile Reserve

. Superintendent Steve McGreggor

St Thomas -St James

. Superintendent Maurice Robinson

St Elizabeth -Westmoreland

. Superintendent Patricia Colbourne-Whyte JPA -St Ann

. Superintendent Ryland Salmon Area 2 HQ -Area 3 HQ

. Superintendent Martin Baylis St Andrew Central -Manchester

. Superintendent Dennis Watt SACTF -St Mary

. Superintendent Dudley Scott St Mary -Portland

. Superintendent Howard Francis

Area 4 HQ -St Elizabeth

. Superintendent Karl Bowen Portland -St Andrew North

. Superintendent Derrick Knight Clarendon -St Andrew South

. Deputy Superintendent Marlon Nesbeth St Andrew Central -St Thomas

. Deputy Superintendent Mevral Smith St Catherine North -St James

. Deputy Superintendent Derrick Champagnie Kingston Central -St Catherine North

. Deputy Superintendent Errol Ranger Clarendon -Westmoreland

. Deputy Superintendent Michael Scott St James -Kingston West

. Deputy Superintendent Ralsford Hardie Kingston Central -St James

. Deputy Superintendent Clifford Herron Traffic Highway Patrol -St Ann

. Deputy Superintendent Patrick Murdock St Catherine North -Clarendon

. Deputy Superintendent Carl Ferguson St Catherine South -Mobile Reserve

. Deputy Superintendent Rudolph Taylor St James -Mobile Reserve

. Deputy Superintendent Clive Blair

St Catherine North -St Catherine South

. Deputy Superintendent Ian Mowatt St Ann -Motorized Patrol

. Deputy Superintendent Dean Johnson

St Catherine South -St Catherine North

. Deputy Superintendent Duetress Foster-Gardner CISOCA -St Catherine South

. Deputy Superintendent Clement Logan Mobile Reserve -St Andrew Central

. Assistant Superintendent Wayne Cameron Motorized Patrol -St Andrew Central

. Detective Inspector Paul Bernard

St James -St Elizabeth

. Detective Inspector Louis Brown Westmoreland -Manchester