Jonique Gaynor, Staff Reporter

Newly appointed Commissioner of Police, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, says one of his major thrusts will be to "fix the police".

Admiral Lewin, speaking at a press conference at the Police Officers' Club, said community rights and the dignity of the citizens will be at the core of his administration. He said the police force, which was influenced by British models, is too paramilitary. "This kind of force was designed to put down riots and insurrections and it is based on the concept that we deal with violence by bringing superior violence. This cannot work, it has not worked and it will not work."

Less militarism

He said contrary to popular belief, his appointment will not mean more militarism. "We need less of that and not more," he said, "policing is a different thing."

The commissioner also revealed that on his first day on the job, he "signed and promulgated an anti-corruption plan." He said this would be one of his most critical platforms and said while the majority of officers in the force were not corrupt, the few 'bad apples' have damaged the force's reputation and lowered the trust and confidence people have in the law. He said the senior officers and himself would "do all that is necessary and legal to make our plans effective. All extrajudicial actions are unacceptable and will be dealt with ruthlessly."

Admiral Lewin also announced that he would be shutting down some police stations across the island, so as to get "more officers on the road". He said, "Too many officers are guarding stations and doing administrative duties and they are eating up resources. It can't work."

The commissioner's approach to crime solving is five-pronged and he explained that the problem of crime could not be erased if the root causes are not addressed. He said the tribal culture that dominates certain communities needs to be addressed and said he also plans to put an end to "excesses by agents of the state".

Bridge the classes

Admiral Lewin said issues relating to business and commerce and the implications for the social divide between classes also need to be tackled. He said the gap between uptown and downtown, upper class and lower class, needs to be bridged.

He also said a revolution in thinking and actions needs to take place in the police force and said fixing the police would be key under his administration. He also mentioned that socio-economic and sociocultural factors such as a decline in values and attitudes contributed to the problem of crime and called on civil society to wake up and "make amends". He said the role of the home, school and church was very important.

In response to questions about how involved the military would be under his administration, he said, "The military is very engaged now. Their cooperation will continue as required."