‘Battle lines drawn’

Head of the Jamaica Police Federation Rohan James has been interdicted and could face further disciplinary action over comments at recent funeral

FIREBRAND head of the Jamaica Police Federation Corporal Rohan James is facing the fight of his life after the police high command moved to sanction him following his recent declaration that “battle lines have been drawn” over the non-payment of overtime amounts to some cops.

James has been suspended from all duties at three-quarter pay and is to face a Court of Enquiry where, if he is found guilty, the sanctions could range from a lengthy suspension, demotion, and at its most extreme dismissal from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

He is being accused of conduct contrary to the “discipline, good order and guidance of the Force”, and is facing four charges including being disrespectful to seniors in rank, and communicating to the public certain sensitive issues within the JCF without permission from Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson.

“He has been out of line in many of his comments since he has been chairman of the federation but this time he crossed the line with statements that were rude, disrespectful, and to some extent blatantly false,” a police source told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday.

“Even some members of the rank and file, who he claimed to have been speaking on their behalf, have expressed disappointment with his tone and what could be considered the threats which he issued at that funeral,” the source added.

The funeral was that of Constable Damien Blair at Old Harbour New Testament Church of God in St Catherine on July 15.

In a hard-hitting address James warned that the federation would not be muzzled, intimidated, or bamboozled by the High Command in respect to overtime payments to which the court has ruled they are entitled.

“We negotiate with Government, not with High Command. The Council of Deputies has no moral authority to tell us what to do when a court orders that we are to be paid overtime…and that they should put in place a mechanism to capture hours so that the membership can be paid.

“I am not going to negotiate with High Command. Let the record be made clear that the battle lines have been drawn,” James had warned.

“I also want to say to the High Command that [the] Council of Deputies must focus on their areas assigned to them and to leave the issue capping hours worked, because this federation that I lead is not going to be submissive to the place where rank and file membership leaves the citizens of Jamaica compromised in their safety. It will never happen under my watch, mark my word,” James declared to muted applause.

“And I also want to say to the High Command and to our commissioner, God help you if the membership is not paid their overtime come this month. I am tired of the abuse being meted out and believing that persons can call me to intimidate me. I have not seen the man, or woman, that is going to lead me into fear so that I will retreat from doing what the membership have asked of me to do.

“When I was elected it is because I have the capacity, the will, and the power to do it. We are entrenched in law as a police federation body and nobody is going to compromise it. Politics, nor nothing, will come in the path of the execution of the federation’s role,” added a militant James.

But the Observer sources say James should be well aware that more than 90 per cent of the overtime claims submitted by members of the JCF have been paid.

“There are some cases where the overtime has not been paid because of human errors, there have been some issues in some areas with the new Work Management System which is used to calculate the overtime payments, and there have been issues where people are claiming up to 90 hours overtime, including times when they have attended funerals,” added one source.

“There is also an issue where someone of a lower rank, such as a corporal, wants to approve the overtime payment for someone of a higher rank, such as an inspector, and when that is rejected they argue that it is because of the division that they are in,” added the source.

Following the comments by James at the funeral the High Command launched a probe and on Wednesday he was informed that the police commissioner directed that disciplinary action be taken against him at a Court of Enquiry.

“It is therefore desirous and in the public interest that you cease to perform duties in keeping with Regulation 35(1) of the Police Service Regulations 1961. You are hereby interdicted from duty to receive three-quarters salary with immediate effect,” James was told in a letter dated July 26.

He was also ordered to immediately hand over his JCF identification card and all Government property in his possession, which the sources pointed out is standard procedure when a cop is interdicted.

James has also been warned that he should not leave the island without the permission of the governor general, and should provide the head of the Kingston Western Police Division with contact information for himself as well as his next of kin.

There is no indication yet as to when the Court of Enquiry will begin.

In the meantime, Corporal Arleen McBean, who was unceremoniously dumped as chairman of the federation in January 2019, seems set to retake the position, at least for now.

McBean, who is the federation’s general secretary, will act as chairman while James is on interdiction, or until its council appoints an acting head of the body which represents rank and file members of the JCF.

She was ousted through a no-confidence vote by members of the then federation executive after she was accused of circumventing rules and procedures governing the federation.

McBean was unsuccessful in her challenge of the decision in court.

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