The former deputy police commissioner, Mark Shields, seems to have once again attained the status of celebrity, after being sought out by the international press, notably the United Kingdom media, for his assessment of the recent events that unfolded in Tivoli Gardens.

The question that immediately springs to mind though is what, other than being British, gives him this exalted position to pontificate on policing in Jamaica? During his tenure as DCP, what did he achieve and what enduring legacy did he leave in place that will serve to the betterment of the JCF?

Yes, he was a big hit with the women and spoke well and was a regular fixture on the party circuit, but what now qualifies him to be the go-to man for esteemed news organisations? I regard it as somewhat of an insult to intelligent Jamaicans when he appeared on media without a hint of remorse that he contributed so little.

He came from Scotland Yard some five years ago with a huge reputation and commanded a handsome salary in pounds sterling, but what did Jamaica get for its coin? His mandate was to spearhead a new approach to crime-fighting, one that would yield results, but under his watch both the murder and crime rate increased year on year.

He appeared to enjoy life in Jamaica, leaving his English wife and demonstraing his affection for local girls. He has declared that he wants to settle in this island paradise, no doubt eager to continue revelling in his “celebrity” and let it pay its way for him.

To hear him speak with the BBC and other international news houses and regale them with how he would have dealt with the Tivoli situation does indeed sound eloquent and carries a modicum of reasonability that will no doubt go down well with overseas audiences. However, Mark Shields paid scant attention to the nuances of Jamaican policing and did not formulate a working approach that would have a chance of succeeding. Indeed he was busy fighting crime, one party at a time and making the ladies swoon. So to hear him talk with such authority, such gravitas is indeed tragi-comic.

Supercop Reneto Adams always said that Shields did not have the “right stuff” to be a serious crime fighter in Jamaica and he was right. He never exhibited the will to break the back of crime in this country. He may well say now that he was never given the resources or the support of the Government but that would be disingenuous on his part. While he was on the job, I’ve never heard him complain or, like others serrious about their commitment, appeal directly to the people of Jamaica. He never entreated his friends on Jacks Hill, and Stony Hill to play their part in fighting and repelling the surge of crime that so blights this country. He was far too busy with a Rum and Coke in one hand and a pretty girl in the other. With his hands both full how can he now speak with any authority on Jamaica’s crime situation and what can be done to remedy it?

During his time at the JCF, he had no answers and contributed very little. On about £80,000 a year plus expenses, what did the country get for its money apart from a few empty Red Stripe bottles? If one is going to address the media and even more so the international media, then it is incumbent upon one to know what one is talking about and to have acquired some kind of reputation for the respective area of expertise.

Shields can still serve a purpose. But rather than decry the forces’ efforts and talk about how he would have managed forces in Tivoli Gardens, he would do well to use the opportunity to tell the world that Tivoli is not symptomatic of most of Jamaica and the rule of law does indeed prevail.

After all, he has opted to make Jamaica his home and to raise his little one here. His efforts would be better employed ensuring that the country is not pilloried in the international press thus causing irreparable damage to its standing. Perhaps then he will cease to be regarded as a clown.