Echoing the sentiments of concerned Jamaicans who have been calling increasingly for a crime plan in recent times, retired Senior Superintendent of Police Reneto Adams posed the question: “Have we ever had a crime plan?”

Adams, who said he does not regret his policing methods, even after being barred from entering the United States of America (USA) for what the US State Department said is his “involvement in gross violations in human rights in Jamaica” back in 2019, told the Jamaica Observer that there was no crime plan during his years in the force.

His ban from the US came 17 years after the May 7, 2003 killing of four people: 45-year-old Angella Richards, 38-year-old Ferris Lewena Thompson, Matthew James, and a man known only as Renegade – in Kraal, Clarendon.

“We never had a crime plan. What we had was a random situation whereby each division would’ve organised their own little spot check, roadblock, and other operational activities. I had called for a national crime plan coming out of the commissioner’s office,” he told the Jamaica Observer in an interview.

Adams, who received a medal of honour for meritorious service and gallantry three years into his career, told the Sunday Observer that local crime-fighting is sub par and unaggressive.

“It would seem to me that it is more a reactive crime plan we have than a proactive crime plan. So, what I mean is that, if crime raise up in August Town, then police go up there. I’m not saying they don’t have any preventative measures. But the question is: [Is it] effective and efficient? Leave that to the public to answer. I can answer it, but I don’t want to answer because it may look biased and appear as if I’m criticising people,” he said.

The ex-crime-fighter pointed to zones of special operations (ZOSO) in communities like Denham Town in western Kingston, where crime in still rampant. He questioned how shooting incidents and murders could happen in close proximity to a checkpoint.

“A man kill somebody and walk away. Not even run away. That’s what I am saying about the crime plan. Is it effective or efficient? When you have an operation, you have cordon and search, and you have a thing called inner cordon and outer cordon. On the outer cordon, you have a few plain clothes police in cars driving around to see who are escaping or who are infiltrating with a view to harm,” he said.

“If you have an outer cordon, then that would take place of that man who enters on another street, adjoining to the SOE [state of emergency] and get away with it. The outer cordon would surely have him apprehended.”

Adams added, “The criminals study the cordons and know that that runs a particular parameter area, and they study it. Then they go on the street that is not a part of it and create mayhem. I study these things at the police college and the police training school. I don’t know if schools not teaching people these things. The most effective weapon in a policeman’s arsenal is local knowledge of his area and common sense.”