Best practices used in serving jury notices now a strategy for tracking wanted persons in Westmoreland

WESTERN BUREAU:

Senior Superintendent Othneil Dobson, the divisional commander for the Westmoreland police, has unveiled a strategic plan to enhance the law enforcement capabilities of the police in the western parish, which he hopes will result in an even more profound decline in serious crimes in the parish.

In a recent interview with The Gleaner, Dobson said he would be tasking the officers under his command to utilise best practices derived from the strategies used in issuing jury notices for cases in the Westmoreland Circuit Court in tracking down wanted persons and serving bench warrants. Westmoreland has the best record of all parishes in recruiting jurors.

“We are coming from 16 jurors three circuits ago. We went up to 126 in the previous circuits, then we sent out a challenge to our members to increase those numbers to 200. They surpassed it, reaching 316 jury notices served over the period, the highest the division has ever served,” said Dobson.

When St James was struggling to seat a jury for the ongoing Mario Deane case last year, the matter was transferred to the Westmoreland Circuit Court where it went off without an itch, as there were more than enough jurors to service the case.

It should be interesting to note that, during the event where Dobson spoke, the Westmoreland Police Division and the Westmoreland Police Civic Committee Awards Ceremony, District Constable Cynthia Malcolm, of the Bethel Town Police Station, was honoured for her exceptional dedication in serving the most jury notices in the Westmoreland division.

Malcolm, who has been enlisted in the District Constable Association of the Jamaica Constabulary Force for the last 24 years, was awarded for single-handedly serving 58 of the 316 jury notices.

“I had to award that officer who served the most, a total of 58 jury notices served by District Constable Malcolm, and the team there [in Bethel Town] with her leading from the front, teaching the new officers how to find these persons,” noted Dobson.

“We hope to use the method she used to find persons who are wanted on warrants,” said Dobson, who believes that Malcolm’s approach will help in tracking down wanted persons, which is key to keeping crime on a downward trajectory.

While she is delighted that her method has found favour with Dobson, Malcolm nonetheless acknowledged that the task of serving jury notices can be quite frustrating.

“I was born and grew up in that community (Bethel Town), so I know a lot of people from there. However, sometimes you will find people hiding from you, so we have to revisit them,” said Malcolm, who did not disclose the strategies she uses to find persons who might be trying to evade her, which Dobson plans to utilise.

As it relates to juror duty, Malcolm said Jamaicans should not shy away from serving because it is part of the process that will ultimately help in creating safer communities for all Jamaicans.

“I encourage them as best as we can, because you don’t know when the shoe will be on your feet, and you are going to need somebody to be a juror on your case. You must serve your country and do your civil duty,” said Malcolm.

Westmoreland, which registered 100 murders last year, primarily driven by rampaging gangsters, is enjoying a major reduction in lawlessness this year, much to the delight of stakeholders across the parish.

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