More focus on canine unit
APOLICE dog is one of the non-lethal use of force options available to crime-fighters. And while the dog’s breed is extremely important, training is also a vital part of ensuring that the animal and its handler are equipped to effectively perform their tasks.
Police departments have been known to extol the virtues of using dogs to detect illegal drugs, bombs and explosives, find missing persons in search-andrescue missions, and assist in the arrest of suspects. These possibilities are likely to have influenced the establishment of Jamaica’s Canine Division, as a specialised unit of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), 70 years ago.
How the JCF manages its Canine Division is now a topic of national conversation triggered by the recent revelations by the Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA) in its quarterly newsletter. It is worth noting a few sober facts coming out of their report. Only half of the 61 members of staff are trained as handlers and only one member is a certified trainer. Additionally, the working conditions of the staff have been deemed unsatisfactory. The report painted a grim picture of decay and neglect at the physical spaces where the dogs and handlers carry out their assignments.
ALL THE HELP
As conversations around the state of public safety increase, it is becoming clear that Jamaica needs all the help it can get to bring crime under control. What certainly looked like a step into the right direction, was the acquisition last year of nearly two dozen dogs from Colombia. These malinois and labradors are considered well-suited for crime-fighting tasks. But is this unit employed in a manner to pay the best dividend for that investment? If handlers are not trained to work with these dogs, what value do they bring to crime-fighting?
The JCF Canine Unit hit the news back in the 1990s when then Commissioner of Police Col Trevor McMillan transferred most of its members to what was mockingly called “Never Never Land”, over allegations that the genuine canines were substituted with regular dogs, not trained in detection in effect creating a free run for drug smugglers using the various ports of entry.
The local police say 63 dogs, which is the composition of the Canine Unit, is a mere drop in the bucket, for Jamaica requires maybe hundreds of dogs to make the unit effective.
While the focus is on the dogs, we may as well ask aloud, what is happening to the Mounted Troops? They make their appearance atop their well-fed horses, looking all elegant, but mostly for ceremonial occasions. We heard from one retired senior JCF top brass, a call for the Mounted Troops to be disbanded. Well fed and cared for, but totally ineffective in the fight against crime. In many countries, these horses are used effectively for crowd control at football matches and other supporting events or wherever hundreds of people congregate. We agree with former Deputy Commissioner Mark Shields, if they are not put to good use as a crime-fighting tool then disband them.
Seems new Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake has a dilemma on his hands; how does he fully exploit the current resources available to him, while seeking to modernise the JCF using new technology? We think he needs to make a strong case for effective utilisation of the Canine Division, first by designing training needs and improving working conditions so that such a unit can provide real opportunities for prospective law-enforcement officers.
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