TIME: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 20:44 UTC
¶1. (U) Senior Superintendent Renato Adams, the controversial former head of the disbanded Crime Management Unit (CMU), has been reinstated to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). Adams was taken off active duty in 2004 pending the outcome of the trial in which he and five other members of the CMU were tried for the murder of four people in Crawle (also referred to as Kraal), Clarendon (Ref A). Following his acquittal in December 2005, Adams was reinstated on June 12 to a newly created intelligence position that reports directly to JCF Commissioner Lucius Thomas. Adams’s duties will include collecting, receiving and analyzing intelligence and passing that information on to various agencies and police officers.
¶2. (C) Bishop Herro Blair (protect), head of the Peace Management Initiative and one of the members of the board headed by Commissioner Thomas that investigated the Crawle incident, discussed Adams with poloff on June 13. According to Blair, who as a board member reviewed all of the details of the case, much damning [information] did not make it into court. He characterized Adams as a “murderer”. Blair also said that he had met personally with Thomas to discuss Adams’ reinstatement. He noted that Thomas had created a special position within his office so that he could keep a close eye on Adams, and said that Thomas assured him that Adams would not be allowed back on the street. Adams has only two years left before retirement and about three months vacation per year, Blair added, and a decision could even be made to allow Adams to retire a year early.
¶3. (C) Following the CMU officers’ indictments, their U.S. visas were canceled pursuant to INA 214(b) and a potential 212 (a)(2)(A)(1)(I) – crime involving moral turpitude (Ref B and C). On June 13, four former members of the CMU who were acquitted along with Adams (Lenford Gordon, Devon Bernard, Shayne Lyons and Roderick Collier) arrived at the Consular Section to inquire about their visas. Fraud Off explained that their visas had been revoked because they had been determined to be “ineligible to travel”, but that the ineligibility was not permanent and they were eligible to reapply.
¶4. (C) The media quickly picked up on the issue and the following day, June 14, the headline of “The Gleaner” was “Visas Revoked – U.S., Canada bar policemen charged with Kraal murders”. The article reported that Adams planned to go to the Embassy to inquire about his U.S. visa the following day. As promised, on June 14, Adams arrived at the Consular Section and was met by the RSO and A/RSO/I in the basement parking area. RSO informed Adams that his visa had in fact been revoked and asked if Adams had his passport with him so that his U.S. visa could be physically canceled. Adams replied that he did not have his passport with him and, consequently, his visa has been revoked in the system but not physically canceled. RSO also informed Adams that he could appeal the USG’s decision to revoke his visa if he so desired. On June 16, Adams publicly announced that he would not appeal the revocation. He said he had visited the U.S. only once in the previous 25 years, and that the NIV was “very unimportant” to him.
¶5. (C) COMMENT: Despite a history of involvement in incidents (including Crawle) that gave every appearance of being extrajudicial killings, Adams and his fellow CMU members were acquitted. Blair and others with intimate knowledge of the Crawle investigation have told us in no uncertain terms that there was an abundance of evidence that Adams’ unit indeed murdered the individuals at Crawle – regardless of what the jury found. Adams enjoys a formidable reputation among Jamaica’s crime weary population as something of a no-nonsense supercop and there is a fair amount of public support to unleash him against the country’s violent criminals. He is also alleged to be close to elements of the governing Peoples National Party, and with a general election due by late 2007 (but which may occur within the next few months), Adams poses something of a dilemma to a GOJ and a JCF that find themselves vulnerable on the crime issue. Right now, though, it appears highly unlikely that Adams will be returned to the street action and the spotlight that he craves. END COMMENT.
