THE EDITOR, Sir:
When I sat down yesterday morning to drink my coffee and read the Sunday newspapers, I thought, when I read your competitor’s headline story, that I was dreaming.
Even after a few hours, I was still unable to rationalise what entered the heads of those in charge of the Sunday Observer that led them to the decision to disclose that Vybz Kartel had allegedly offered assistance to the police. The article stated that Kartel was trying to broker a deal to either have the charges against him dropped or to have his cooperation taken into consideration by the court.
Apart from the obvious consequences of a serious risk to Kartel in prison, there are the wider ramifications of the risk of violence to his family.
Did the editor decide to put the value of publishing a ‘good story’ above the risks to all those involved? Unless there is a public interest angle that has escaped me, it seems that they decided to squeeze one more Kartel front page out with the sole motivation of selling copies rather than choosing to examine the consequences of their actions.
The proof of this statement is that they clearly went through a thought process because they did not publish the name of the author of their article.
Police source
On another level, what was the motivation of the ‘highly placed police source’ who gave details of this revelation to the press? It certainly was not to protect the integrity of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) or consider the risks to those involved.
I know that many of the professional men and women of the JCF with whom I have worked will be equally horrified by this story, and I hope that they will join me in demanding that the commissioner of police order a thorough investigation to try to identify the source of this article.
So much good work is done behind the scenes by the JCF and despite the constant flow of attacks on their reputation, some of which are justifiable, the source has single-handedly undermined the community’s trust and confidence in the police service.
Finally, I would like to make it clear that I hold no candle for Vybz Kartel. My motivation is based on the principle that Jamaica needs to ensure that the standards of journalism remain at a level that do not put people’s lives at risk for the sake of a ‘good’ story.
MARK SHIELDS
Former Deputy Commissioner of Police
I concur 100%. Irresponsible journalism. Ja’can newspapers on a whole getting out of hand with this “un-named source” and “confidential source” attribution
This is exactly what I was saying yesterday.
very very good point him cuden have put it any better.
There is another side to this. Maybe the police wants his cronies to start flip and bring in information on Kartel on other murders. If his cronies know he cause others to go to prison, they might start talking, knowing their boss was a big informer himself. Just a thought.
Hes right they are lying because they want kartel to lose his grip but they didn’t think it threw well. Its was a lie remember I told you
I dont think the police or observer is lying I think the threats to the journalists were coming from him. No real bad man or gun man sitdown and study the way a journalist writes. With that being said they are playing tit for tat with him and they should not.
Met exactly what I said on Sunday. It is an utter disgrace to the JCF, the state doesn’t need to resort to these tactics and if they have other evidence, as it is “alleged” there are other charges to be brought against it, use them, the public disclosure isn’t necessary if anything guh suh, wi know him have him links but informant information is NO JOKE business, putting other people’s lives at stake
Maybe it was but dem do it wrong, they cant play tit for tat with him because he is a criminal so fi him tit and fi dem tat haffi be done differently. Riches a whole heep a go down but what they are to do is to say what is going down instead of sending that very neat threat
Common assualt, done in other nations as well. Mark Shield come, see and left….and things remained the same. Him belittling report from de other day still a resonate wid me…true whitey sey it wrong a so blacky fi believe?….kmt. Phuck Mark Shields and all the colonial puppet masters and all dem loyalist.
F**k Mark Shields.
And I CONCUR, it was reckless and undermined whatever was accomplished! In any modern day society this wouldn’t have happened! putting the incarcerated family at risk damn foolishniss! Observer losing their appeal to many so they had to milk the cow one last time. Kartel will never be absolved of what he has done but let justice take its course, reckless reckless reckless it sets a bad precedent for anyone who will consider a plea bargain something about the article just doah sit rite wid me
Lol…suh wah true Mark Sheild seh something now everybody turn pon Jcf and observer…I do agree with Mark shield but maybe Mr Sheild doesn’t understand the real reason behind it, this is the first time I’ve ever seen any newspaper done this…so there must be a solid reason for that and i think it was to save innocent people lives…because those men wud have thought other people inform on them and more innocent lives taken…if Mr. Sheilds was still in Jamaica kartel and him cronies wudnt be able to get away with so much shit…
That mi a try say…the observer never get up and jus dash up like that but they are to talk whats going on behind the scenes
I agree with you Kingstonja, this was planned with reason, at first I was not in agreement, but den i considered and came up with the same conclusion as you!
I stand grounded in backing the release of the information. Kartel has an abnormal hold on the idiots and has employed abnormal tactics. It was a Machievellian move and the end justifies the means. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire even if it means departure from protocol.
Mark Sheilds, just shut your ass, weh d claat yuh did do, while you were serving the force when kartel a reign terror pan ppl and a kill dem, Y yuh never did write to d editor when dem a kill off innocent ppl women and children included? y yuh never write to d editor when dem a kill off Police? you did do nothing to stem the level of crime and havoc him did a create pan ppl, all yuh do a collect millions fi do wah??? A betta yuh go back weh yuh a come from eh nuh, cauz mi nuh see weh yuh come from Scotland yard and do dung yah fi reduce wi crime level. Him lucky a put it a put fi him life at risk and a nuh dead him dead yet. How d claat yuh never come comment when him and him cronies a threaten d witnesses and prosecution team? Put him pan blast of course Observer, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. Him nuh put ppl lives at risk too, and took many lives as well, so what if fi him, and fi him family lives at risk now??? Yuh know how much duppy this man mek? and how much ppl dead and maggot nyam dem and dem bones rotten sake a him. Anything him sow at it him a reap, before him seek God him seek d devil, dats y him life so damn miserable!!!
in England, there was a Jamaican guy who killed his girlfriend. it was reported in the newspapers that he was an informant for the MET. why was this not condemned ?
:tkp
yuh bad enuh ,yuh cuden sey suss wen mi see de met mi cuden tap laff
Gwan Onedrop…him coffee should a spill inna him lap. Mark Shields fi go sit his ass down.
Yuh see wah mi a seh Phantom!!! of all d things he could have commented on, him chose fi comment pan dis yah topic yah, look how much other pressing issues there were weh him could n comment pan, such as (murder of women and children, d violent prone environment weh ghetto youths affi live in, corrupt politicians etc, n d list goes on n on) which ppl could have benefited tremendously from his input and he stayed clear from all those issues, but now him a come chat. Kip yuh r@@s comment to yuh self man, nobody nuh want hear it but Emily Crooks. Cauz a front u come dung yah come look a nuh crime u come dung yah fi fight???!!! Yes is his opinion, and he’s entitled to it just like everyone else, but him is not a children advocate, but him tun badman advocate now. Him a nuh Jesus Christ wi nuh expect him fi be wi saviour but him could an do more to assist with crime fighting in Jamaica, since a him dem get fi do d job, BUT d problem wid wi Jamaica wi ppl seh everything weh come from foreign betta dan wah deh a yard, Mi 1 Hundred million % sure seh Ellington a do a damn betta job dan wah Mark Sheilds him come yah come do, GUH HIDE MAN. kmt
* think seh* correction
Kartel put a lot of people lives at risk so mi nuh have nuh form a pity in a mi heart fi him…di police dem have dem reason, I wish no harm to his family but dem seh karma is a bitch…if yu want good do good…mi nuh feel seh him fi in a jail a inform pon him cronies dem and a next family fi get executed fi weh dis monster do…him family did a rail and a gwaan like seh dem a movie star di other day, now dem hear seh dem family a informer dem start sling slow and a lock up in a house now, a same way lizard and Lamar Chow family did haffi a lock up to, all now di poor people caan live a normal life because of dis boy…look how much problem dis one boy put everybody in a…no man it serious bad….
i agree wid every letter, every fullstop, every comma, every word you type.
you said all i needed to say :thanks2
i would also like to add, that ppl want kill chow cuz dem claim him a informer, so dem muss feel like sh-it fi know seh kartel do di same ting.
chow did a service to his friend that was killed for no reason, kartel neva do di country no service cuz a only when fire unda him dutty bumbo, him start squeal like a bitch cuz him only give a fu-ck about himself and himself only.
Yu know what Obara and Met, I think later later on we’re gonna see the real reason behind all this..it nuh just come out suh.
They should say it because a nuh likkle tings him a gwaan wid…which bad man a study news paper writer writing style?? a smaddy gi dem something fi repeat so a smaddy set dem pan di journalists
exactly met, all kartel fans do wid di newspaper a wip dem batty cuz dem cyaah afford toilet paper.
all dem do wid di newspaper is fan wid it.
all dem do wid it is spread it out mek dem bed a night time.
a kartel tell dem fi call di journalist and threaten dem.
yes that was not a wild card call but the observer must not make themselves look like them..strategy is what dem fi draw fah and beat dem bad
Same suhhhh Lundun…f**ka mussi a have running belly and nuh kno weh fi do ya now…dwl..Lundun seh “him squeal like a bitch”…Lolol …so true
So true met
Phantom….Well said. Allow me to echo that sentiment…..F**K MARK SHIELDS!!!!!!
Shields still lives in Jamaica so him know wha gwan and him have a right fi talk as a resident in a country but yes he was ineffective as crime chief. Dis a simple ting all the police did wa do was just mash up Kartel credibility completely and the Observer wa sell newspapers.
Ppl believe anything even lies .. Lol
Mi wa dem use the observer God Kno
why dont they? is den yuh woulda hear all the passa passa. don’t encourage them to open ” Pandora’s Box. caa yuh gudda get HEART ATTACK.
u a look :maho
fire deh a mus mus tail him tink is a sweet piece a breeze :ngakak mek dem sue man
Sue*
Freedom of press…