July 1, 1999
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July 1, 1999 |
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Police on sick-out
Reginald Allen, Staff Reporter
POLICE SERVICES, especially street patrols, were crippled across much of the Corporate Area yesterday, as many members of the constabulary called in sick in protest against the Government's stance on its wage dispute with the Force. Commanding officers across most of the capital city acknowledged that only a few patrol teams were on the streets. With the limited personnel, they opted mainly to secure jail cells and protect sensitive national infrastructure. A similar picture was painted by their counterparts across most of the countryside, where the sick-out also took its toll. Reports are that a number of rank and file members from sensitive sections of the Force stayed on the job yesterday out of loyalty to their commanding officers. Meanwhile, the Police Federation, which represents the members of the Force, has shifted from both its original demand on Government and its stated position not to meet with the authorities without any clear prospect for a resolution of the matter. Government negotiators and Federation representatives met at the Police Commissioner's office in St. Andrew late yesterday. "We are not even making any equation with district constables at this stage," said the Federation's chairman, Inspector Michael James, prior to the meeting yesterday. "Government is indicating that there is no anomaly (between our pay and that of district constables), so we have left the anomaly argument. All there is to the matter now is for Government to make an offer that we consider meaningful." He said the increases proposed by Cabinet last Monday fell well short of what the Federation would even consider. Mr. James also said the Federation has received permission to hold another mass meeting tomorrow to update its members on the developments since their meeting last Wednesday. However, he said, this is likely to be postponed, considering "that the information we are getting from the news media is that many of our members are not feeling well". The sick-out situation took effect from the 7:00 a.m. shift yesterday. Some commanding officers managed to secure assistance from, among other groups, trainee personnel from the Jamaica Police Academy and members of the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF). Among the areas most seriously affected was the Highway Patrol Unit at Ferry, St. Catherine, which operates along the south coast as far as Clarendon. Deputy Superintendent Herman Wescarr, in charge of the Ferry Police team, said 40 percent of his staff reportred, "reducing patrollling to a minimum'. At the Half Way Tree Police Station, Deputy Superintendent Lennon Lawrence said 14 persons reported sick for the morning shift and this had affected mostly patrols. Officers from the Cross Roads station described the position as "a 50-50 situatio" between persons at work and those who reported sick. Operations within the St. Andrew South Division were reported to be in better shape. Commanding Officer, Superintendent Lola Evans, said a batch of trainees was brought in from the Police academy to help man the Hunts Bay and gun Court jail cells. In addition the division, which is headquarted at Hunts Bay, managed to secure a patrol team from the Motorised Patrol Division to bolster two teams it mustered from within its own ranks. In Eastern Kingston, Superintendent Derrick Shand was not so fortunate and admitted that central patrolling across the areas covered by eight stations 'has definitesly been affected'. On the same compound at Elleston road, Superintendent Harry Daley, head of the Motorised Patrol division, acknowledged it was 'not a normal day here today. He was referring to the visual evidence of dozens of patrol vehicles parked on the compound. Some of his senior officers were observed busily taking a small team of oung personnel through parading exercises, in preparation to hit the roads. We have been able to cover all our beats in the various business districts (of the Corporate area) today, said Supt. Daley. We have also been able to send our radio patrols, though not in the normal numbers. |
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