DCP Bailey cites gang prosecutions among greatest career achievements

  

Less than a month before he closes the curtain on four decades of policing, Deputy Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey says the prosecution of multiple gangs has been among his greatest achievements.

 

Just this week Prime Minister Andrew Holness pointed to an almost 50 per cent reduction in the number of gangs operating in the country, from more than 380 to approximately 185.

 

DCP Bailey credited a partnership with the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigations Branch (CTOC) for this improvement. 

 

"We started to focus on the gang as an organisation. With the focus on the gang as a criminal organisation, I think what we are benefitting from now, in terms of the murder reduction that we are seeing, coupled with other initiatives, I think that is one of the most impactful achievements because a significant [number] of the gangs have been impacted," he said, adding that the goal is to disrupt the gangs and hope "the message will be transmitted". 

 

DCP Bailey, while acknowledging the splintering of gangs, said continued pressure on criminal networks will ultimately lead to the dismantling of the organised groups.

 

Noting that more than 60 per cent of murders are committed by gangs, the senior cop said the crime portfolio is now more structured towards targeting them.   

 

"The men and women that work within the Criminal Investigation Branch, they now have a direction; they now have a focus, a strategic focus and I think if they stick to the strategy, stick to the plan, it will redound in greater reduction and ultimately a better Jamaica."

  

The deputy commissioner was speaking with Radio Jamaica's St. Catherine correspondent Devon Fletcher following a pre-retirement ceremony at the National Police College in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine on Friday.

 

'Thoughtful and decisive' 

 

Meanwhile, former Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn, in reflecting on her 16-year tenure, said DCP Bailey was not afraid to challenge her in discussions of law.

 

Ms. Llewellyn, who was also at the pre-retirement ceremony, said this discourse fuelled a professional friendship. 

 

"It was as DPP that being in the trenches together in the public interest, Mr. Bailey and his team and my team, that we really cemented what I can say will be a lifelong friendship. Mr. Bailey is proactive. He is decisive, which is something that I admire about his leadership style. And I would commend it to all of you. He is not prepared to keep the candle on the road and look the other way. No matter how difficult the challenge, he is thoughtful and he will think about it, consult, collaborate and then make a decision one way or the other," she recounted.   

 

Recalling the prosecution of gang members, including from the infamous One Don Gang as well as Tesha Miller, Ms. Llewellyn described DCP Bailey as intellectually sharp, adding that his determination and "raw professional experience" aided in securing convictions.