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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5395
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 1153
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0499
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0382
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 2905
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINGSTON 001462 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR - JOE TILGHMAN 
STATE DS/DSS,DS/IP/WHA,DS/IP/TA 
TREASURY FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - SARA GRAY 
JUSTICE FOR OPDAT - ROBERT LIPMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/24/2017 
TAGS: PREL PGOV SOCI SNAR PHUM ASEC KCOR KCRM KJUS
SUBJECT: JAMAICA: CRIME AND CORRUPTION CHALLENGES FACING 
THE NEW GOVERNMENT OF PRIME MINISTER BRUCE GOLDING 
 
REF: A. KINGSTON 1445 (201732Z SEP 07)(NOTAL) 
 
     ¶B. 06 KINGSTON 2021 (121230Z OCT 06)(NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: Charge' James T. Heg, Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d) 
 
 Overview and Conclusion 
------------------------- 
 
1.(C)  This second of several cables outlining challenges 
facing the new Government of Prime Minister (PM) Bruce 
Golding's Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) focuses on the 
deep-seated problems of crime and corruption.  During his 
electoral campaign and in his inaugural address, Golding 
promised his government would have the political will to 
tackle crime, violence, and corruption.  These assertions now 
will be tested severely: 
 
(A) with murders up an alarming 17 percent thus far in 2007, 
Jamaica looks set once again to top the charts as the world's 
homicide capital; 
 
(B) with his government facing a USD 260 million current year 
deficit and a debt-to-GDP ratio approaching 140 percent 
(Reftel A), it is unknown how Golding can keep his promise to 
bring the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) up to full 
strength (8,500), and meet the promise of the previous 
administration to grant police officers a 40 hour work week; 
 
(C) after 18 years in power, the outgoing senior officials of 
the People's National Party (PNP) would be likely targets of 
any corruption investigations-- the PM thus can expect little 
cooperation from the PNP Opposition in Parliament, where his 
own ruling JLP enjoys only a narrow majority; whether Golding 
will be able to muster sufficient support to pass legislation 
needed to accomplish his anti-corruption goals remains 
unclear. 
End Overview and Conclusion. 
 
Crime and Violence 
------------------ 
 
2.(SBU) In his inaugural address, PM Golding promised to make 
the reduction of crime a priority of his government.  His 
stated goal is to create a country where "Jamaicans can feel 
safe and secure."  Golding has taken the reins three-quarters 
of the way through a year in which Jamaica looks to again top 
the charts as the murder capital of the world.  In 2006, the 
Jamaica Constabulary Force was able to reduce the murder rate 
by nearly 10 percent but crime statistics released on 
September 16, indicate that murders for 2007 are up by 17 
percent over 2006 numbers.  Of note is that there are twice 
as many reported gang-related murders this year vis-Q-vis the 
same time last year, and island wide the clearance rate 
remains a low 34 percent.  (Note: Clearance rates in the 
Kingston Area are only 31 percent).  For other violent crimes 
it is a mixed bag, shootings are up 13 percent over last 
year, but the categories of rape, sexual abuse of children, 
and robbery all show decreases, -1 percent, -6 percent, and 
-27 percent, respectively.  (Note:  Jamaica was recently 
cited in a UN/World Bank report as having the third worst 
incidence of rape in the world). 
 
3.(SBU) On September 19, the new Minister of National 
Security, Derrick Smith, announced a reinvigoration of "hot 
spot" policing and increased use of check points and traffic 
stops in troubled neighborhoods to quell the murder rate. 
This is a strategy that current Deputy Commissioner of 
Police, Mark Shields has been urging the government to adopt 
for months.  It appears that recent headline articles about 
August being the third bloodiest month this year have gotten 
Minister Smith's attention. 
 
4.(C) In addition to being under-staffed and under-paid, the 
Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is known to be rife with 
corruption.  In its last months in office, the previous 
government began a strategic review of the JCF, the third 
such review to occur in the last five years.  It appears that 
Golding's new Minister of National Security will continue 
this review.  Even if the review is as comprehensive and 
honest as promised, it remains to be seen whether the Golding 
 
government will have the muscle to push forward the 
legislative changes required to enable the imposition of a 
rational personnel system, with adequate provisions to 
discipline and remove underperforming and corrupt cops from 
the force.   Because many senior leaders within the JCF, 
including its Commissioner, have been identified by sources 
as corrupt, in reality, without a complete housecleaning of 
the JCF leadership, no real change will occur. 
 
5.(C) In a September 19 meeting between NAS Director and 
Senior Ministry of National Security officials, the Special 
Advisor on Policy, Anne-Marie Barnes, indicated that the new 
Minister holds a dim view of Senior leadership within the JCF 
and said she anticipates efforts to change the leadership 
from the top down.  This will not be an easy task for the 
Police Services Commission, which is the legal entity 
responsible for the hiring, disciplining, and firing of 
senior police officers.  Commission board members have 
indicated on numerous occasions that they hoped to Q&retire 
in the public interestQ8 senior members of the JCF, to 
include Commissioner Thomas.  However, recent court rulings 
have declared that retirement in the public interest is 
beyond the mandate of the PSC, thus effectively tying its 
hands.  How Minister Smith now plans to remove corrupt and 
ineffective leadership seems unclear.  Given the lucrative 
parallel income stream that most senior members enjoy, it 
appears highly unlikely that they would opt to voluntarily 
resign from the JCF. 
 
6.(SBU) In addition, how Golding will keep his promise to 
bring the Jamaica Constabulary Force up to full strength 
(8,500), and meet the promise of the previous administration 
to grant police officers a 40 hour work week, when his 
government is already facing a J$ 18 billion current year 
deficit (USD 260 million) is unknown. 
 
Corruption 
---------- 
 
7.(U) Golding also promised to make "transparency and 
accountability in government and the elimination of 
corruption a priority."  According to Golding a "new 
framework" for good governance is at the "top of our agenda." 
 To do so, Golding proposed several specific initiatives, 
which all require legislative and some constitutional changes: 
 
-- Imposition of criminal sanctions for violations of 
government contracting rules and procedures; 
 
-- Creation of a Special Prosecutor to investigate and 
prosecute corruption; and, 
 
-- Passage of legislation to protect whistleblowers, and 
enable the removal of public officials guilty of "misconduct, 
corruption, abuse of authority, or betrayal of public trust." 
 
 
8.(SBU) There already exists a grab bag of toothless 
organizations to combat corruption in Jamaica-- the 
Contractor General, which is the government watchdog on 
public contracting, and the Commission for the Prevention of 
Corruption, a sub-organ for the Ministry of Justice, to name 
two.  Neither of these organizations has its own independent 
budget, nor does either have adequate staff or investigative 
resources.  As was evident in the Trafigura scandal, which 
broke in the fall of 2006 (Reftel B), the Contractor General 
can make headlines, but is unable to do more.  The Commission 
for the Prevention of Corruption's main task seems to be the 
collection of financial disclosure statements from public 
officials.  However, once collected, the statements are kept 
confidential; for example, the Financial Investigative 
 
SIPDIS 
Division's requests for review of these documents to verify 
"reported income" versus what it has uncovered in 
money-laundering investigations are categorically refused. 
 
9.(C) To remediate the problem and give anti-corruption 
efforts teeth, Golding's new government has already begun 
exploring a long-standing JLP promise to establish a special 
prosecutor for anti-corruption.  According to the JSP former 
Shadow Minister, now Speaker of the House, Delroy Chuck, 
 
ideally this prosecutor would have to be independent of the 
Office of the Public Prosecutor.  The current head of the 
Office of the Public Prosecutor has stated that setting up an 
independent Special Prosecutor is not possible without 
constitutional change, and he seems thoroughly opposed to the 
notion, probably believing that such an entity would reduce 
his office's power.  His view regarding the need for 
constitutional change is shared by senior leadership within 
the Ministry of National Security, whose opinions may also be 
colored by the fact that creation of such a prosecutor would 
dilute the Ministry's control over a key national security 
matter. 
 
10.(SBU) After 18 years in power, the outgoing senior PNP 
government officials are likely targets of any corruption 
investigations.  Golding thus can expect little cooperation 
from PNP opposition members, while his ruling JLP enjoys only 
a narrow parliamentary majority.  Whether Golding will be 
able to muster sufficient parliamentary support to pass the 
necessary legislation to accomplish his anti-corruption goals 
remains unclear.  Without outside financial assistance, the 
Jamaican Government is unlikely to have the financial 
resources necessary to provide budgets for these 
organizations to fund quality vetted investigative staff. 
 
11.(C) Golding's own party leadership and the JLP's political 
supporters are not without their own bad apples.  The new 
Minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime 
Minister, James Robertson, is involved in unspecified 
criminal activity, according to the local UK High Commission. 
  In addition, Christopher Coke, a known drug don, has been a 
financial backer of the JLP.  Golding has told us privately 
that he wants to isolate and remove tainted individuals from 
involvement in the JLP.  However, to do so, he needs more 
than just rumors.  He has approached the Embassy in the past 
for information on suspect individuals.  How the USG would be 
able to assist Golding with evidence of wrongdoing on the 
part of party members and/or supporters bears consideration. 
 
12.(SBU) According to a recent report by the Jamaican Justice 
System Reform Project, even if the Special Prosecutor's 
office is established, it would have difficulty moving cases 
through the Jamaican Judicial system: a broken institution 
with clogged dockets, inadequate infrastructure, overburdened 
and underperforming judges, and an inability to seat juries 
and protect witnesses. 
 
13.(SBU) Conclusion:  Golding understands that the missing 
piece is not necessarily resources; it is political will. 
During his campaign as well as in his inaugural address, he 
promised that his government would have the political will to 
tackle crime, violence, and corruption.  These assertions now 
will be tested severely.  End Conclusion. 
HEG