Police to target motorcades
Garwin Davis, Assistant News Editor

Junior Dowie/ Staff Photographer One of the buses with JLP supporters in a motorcade in Central Kingston yesterday.

Head of the police traffic division, Superintendent Frederick Williams, says he is "deeply troubled" by the level of "lawlessness and reckless behaviour" associated with political motorcades, noting that the problem was now cause for "serious concern".

"It's a major problem and one that we have brought to the attention of the political parties," he explained. "Not only, and I am speaking specifically about the behaviour of the people travelling on these motorcades, do they pose a risk to themselves but also the wider society. We are alarmed by some of what has been taking place on these motorcades."

He said that despite having warned the political parties, there was nothing to indicate that the situation was being monitored.

"I don't know what it will take for them to understand the seriousness of what we are talking about here," he added. "The beer drinking - the hanging out of windows - the reckless and unnecessary overtaking - we are talking about some serious violations. I have instructed our officers not to necessarily make arrests on the spot, especially if it's a large crowd. They must, however, take all the particulars they can, including licence number so we can prosecute later. We will especially be going after the drivers - we will be charging them with aiding and abetting."

Asked why the police would refrain from making on the spot arrests, Mr. Williams said that it was "extremely dangerous" to do so.

"They would not have a problem attacking the police," he added. "Their rationale is that they are having fun and nobody will deny them that. I have a brother in Hanover who almost paid with his life for daring to tell some people that he would not allow any unlawful behaviour in his bus - they attacked him with knives - that's the extent to which some of these persons will go. If it is a situation though where arrests can be made on the spot then we will do it. I must also point out that we did make five arrests at the mass meeting in Ocho Rios the other day. Those persons are now before the courts."

There are reports that the motorcades have also been causing frequent road accidents. Only last Wednesday in St. Ann, a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporter was killed while travelling in a motorcade en route to a political meeting in Ocho Rios. The incident followed another in Islington, St. Mary, a week ago where six supporters of the People's National Party (PNP) were injured in a motor vehicle spill. There are also reports that drivers in these motorcades have done major damage to the vehicles of other motorists. The aggrieved motorist, the police say, is often left to tend to his own vehicle.

"We have given strict instructions for people to operate within the law," explained Maxine Henry-Wilson, General Secretary of the PNP in an interview with The Sunday Gleaner on Friday. "We have marshals out there monitoring what is happening and we certainly don't condone lawlessness. The police also have a job to do and must be vigilant in doing their work. Also, with the election so close, there is no real need to be going on with all these motorcades. People should be working within their polling divisions - that's where the focus should be."

Audley Shaw, Opposition Spokesperson on Finance said that strict instructions have been given to JLP supporters to operate within the law.

"We will in no way support anybody operating outside the framework of the law and creating problems for the police problem," he said. "We can understand people wanting to have fun and celebrate with their party; we must also understand though that this cannot be done by endangering the lives of others."

Bishop Herro Blair, Political Ombudsman, said the onus was on the parties to take full control of their motorcades.

"It's very difficult to ban motorcades," he said. "It's the same situation as we have with the flags - it's a part of the politics. There are people out there who revel in this kind of thing. They wait every five years to get on these motorcades to have the time of their lives. The police have a job to ensure that they don't get carried away and I suspect that after the election we will see a number of persons getting prosecuted."