Police slowly becoming fair to GLBTQ issues ......... but not nearly enough.

Following on the Star’s headline on March 1, 2010 entitled Police Hide Male Lovers at Station. In summary four males who went to report damage that was done to their vehicle following one of their own who had gone to a shop earlier and was verbally attacked. He returned with his friends to allegedly confront his attackers but was met by a mob that damaged the vehicle in question.

They did reach the station to file a report but the residents descended on the station and demanded that the police release the men to them so they could beat them. Up until late that evening they were still at the station as persons wanted to see the faces of the gay men.

It’s not very often that we hear of police being professional in GLBT matters so they are to be commended for it in this case. They did the right thing by protecting the men from the crowd who wanted to exact vigilante justice by beating the men. We have heard so many negatives towards the police even outside of treatment of gays but the general citizenry. The recent party event on February 12, 2010 that was picketed by residents was also a case of the police acting professionally by cordoning the area and allowing the party patrons to leave uninterrupted and maintained law and order.

Generally speaking the police have been getting commendations from the public since the huge ammunition find in Kingston where one of their own was implicated by his colleagues and the subsequent cleanup of the inventory of all armouries and station reports of weaponry. Other cops have since been interdicted as they were found to be allegedly involved in the smuggling ring. They however still have long ways to go as the public’s trust has still not yet properly restored especially as far as gays and lesbians are concerned.

They however have lost some face as the Armadale inquiry report came to public attention and the cop who threw the tear gas canister that caused the fire resulting in the deaths of the female wards of the state has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many including the police hierarchy and politicians. Several other officers in that case as well are to interdicted as they have been found to be culpable in that matter.

The recent prison disturbance at the Horizon remand centre was also of some concern to many as members of the force were accused of firing shots at the inmates while they were feuding. Probes by the Office of the Public Defender and the investigative arms of the force are proceeding to produce a report on what actually occurred.
Only recently in February also, a set of officers were accused of accepting a bribe to exact a retaliatory effort on behalf of the payer of the bribe to retrieve a motor vehicle that allegedly was in the possession of a gay man. The cops were accused of calling the man a batty man while physically abusing him with a baton which resulted in his left arm broken in two places and saying that batty man fi dead and the usual other caustic comments. So the foolishness continues in some quarters.

I guess the general public agitation will force them to take stock of their actions and execute their responsibilities professionally so they can gain the public’s trust.

Please remember to take stock of your own basic rights and freedoms and know them so you will know what to do when you are arrested or brought to a police station, tips on bail, requesting a duty council, how to act when taken into custody, what to look for, the station diary and other possible actions are posted on this blog to the left had side view them by scrolling down. If you are not sure visit the police website to see more or contact any local attorney of human rights organization such as Jamaicans for Justice.

Also go to the Ministry of Justice’s website and go under the laws section to see the relevant acts such as The Bail Act, The Constabulary Act and more.

Peace and tolerance

H