"You going have to get a police escort if you want go Tivoli Gardens, girl." That was Jamaican Info Service aide Dario Kelmond warning on Monday against galloping off to Tivoli Gardens on my lonesome. Tivoli and the May unrest there were by no means on the agenda of the Caricom summit taking place in Montego Bay when the conversation occurred. But Jamaica could not have been discussed without reference to the past two months and a certain man who's put the island on the map for various reasons. None of them good.
And all which left a limited state of emergency still in force in Jamaican areas like St Catherines as Caricom leaders held their July 4-7 summit. Legal proceedings are now in train in the US to ascertain just how much suspected "don" and drug kingpin Christopher "Dudus" Coke might (or might not) have lived up to the business-end of his surname in Jamaica.
However, for Jamaica's garrison communities–which hold a significant lesson for T&T–Dudus, alleged leader of the notorious Shower Posse, was the latest in Jamaica's cult personalities. But on the dark side of the coin. A legend as patrone still being told, even as his misdeeds and continuing controversy surrounding his recent extradition to the US hold equal time in Jamaica's media. With implications for that island's Government. Jamaicans aren't shy about talking two months after American efforts to nab Dudus on suspected drug and arms dealing caused unrest which left 73 dead on May 24, punched Jamaica's tourism economy in the gut, and almost "took out" its Prime Minister. (The US succeeded in getting their hands on Dudus on June 22.) But not before Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding came under siege to step down when he first intervened in the issue and, post-Dudus, is now struggling to right the situation in an historic chapter of Jamaica's history concerning linkages between politics and crime. One of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's stops on her state visit to Kingston yesterday took her to the Mustard Seed Foundation, seven minutes away from Dudus' western waterfront hometown of Tivoli Gardens.
A year ago, however, the eyes on Dudus, 42, were distinctly North American as extradition efforts were initiated against him.The leadership of his family had brought the Posse to prominence, Jamaican Government officials said Sunday and the aggregation, based in west Kingston's Tivoli, was reported to have powerful bases in NY, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Toronto. A senior Caricom official who went to school with Dudus at Kingston's Arden, said: "Dudus was low-profile. His father, who was taken by the US, died in 1992 in solitary (confinement) when a fire broke out...you figure it. Dudus, who eventually led the Posse, had to fight close relatives for the top spot." The Shower Posse, as Jamaicans tell it, formed in the 1970s, supported the Jamaica Labour Party "with whom it maintains close ties" (sic).Dudus' west Kingston habitat is in Golding's constituency.
Hence Golding's sticky wicket when he questioned the legality of US moves to seize Dudus–a situation haunting his political tenure to date.
It's also the reason why Golding is now trying to correct a decades-old situation which may take longer than his tenure. Penultimate "bad-boy", Coke was known as a fierce businessman in the tradition of godfather-type figures (as some associates of Dole Chadee might confirm), who was just as fiercely supportive of his community.
He apparently gave. And also apparently took. "Dudus, he help he people yes, but him was the type of man who take ya daughter if he like she, he would put gun in your son hand and tell 'im shoot," said a young Kingston man who worked in the band which played for Caricom leaders' last Sunday. "Him have influence...the people worship he"–hotel worker Carylin. "Some woman vow to give up their life for Dudus if they (soldiers) came for him...but when the security forces reach and started asking for those women who were supposedly ready to die, they couldn't be found!" related a clean-cut government officer. "People nah know dere was a time that any, every crime that took place in Kingston, Dudus know 'bout it and if he didn't call it, the person (who do it) ded," said Webb, working a west Kingston taxi service. Middle class Jamaica, which put pressure on Golding to allow Dudus to be extradited, may have lived with it but was not as impressed with the legend when things came to a head in May. Security forces, storming Tivoli to take Dudus, were met with fire from his supporters, ending deadlocked in a three-day siege.T&T high commissioner to Jamaica, Yvonne Gittens-Joseph, recalls: "The authorities had met with us days before and warned what might happen, but it was scary. Smoke was billowing over the city, we could hear bullets flying."
J'can garrisons/T&T gangs
Jamaican National Security Minister Dwight Nelson, speaking with TG about the connection of Jamaica's garrisons to crime and politics, said it is significant Golding's current move to clean up that deeply-rooted culture has started with someone who strongly supported the JLP.
Dudus. Nelson said Tuesday, "In garrison communities, criminal gangs, and dons–the leaders–take them over and rule the communities.
"They engage in criminal activities for profit. Some plough the gains back into communities" "And yes, they have historical links with politics. There are garrisons which support either of the two major Jamaican parties." Dudus' rise was in synch with the rise of some parties, Nelson confirmed: "There's no question that the areas over which he presided–Tivoli etc–were areas which supported the ruling Labour Party very strongly."He inherited the ruling of the garrison there from his brother, who in turn inherited it from their father. He's been around for quite some time. "But politically the Prime Minister decided once and for all he would take a stand to break the links between politics and the garrison criminal activity...it's an historic decision, no other prime minister has done that. But there's also no question it has impacted on the perception of him as a politician–one way or another."
Nelson added, "But Mr Golding has decided–and the country and government support him–in that if not now, when? "This is an historic chapter in Jamaican history and it addresses not only the garrison of Tivoli but also others all through the island. "Jamaica is now beset by criminal gangs...there are 200 gangs with 400 members scattered all over the countryside and we're going after them with hardcore police action and the passing of tough, tough anti-gang legislation allowing police to nag anyone suspected of having anything to do with gang activities." Nelson added, "The question of dons who rule communities has been part of Jamaican history and culture but this is now something we're going to break...Dudus was the first step in the chain."
What advice to T&T?Nelson: "Do not allow these gangs or garrisons to become as embedded as Jamaica's have been. If these gangs take on political characteristics, your government should move post-haste without hesitation to break those links. There's only one way to deal with it." "You can't put on the velvet glove–you have to go after them. It hurts but we did it. Ultimately, down the road we'll be happy for it," Nelson added.
Will Golding survive Dudus?
The absent Dudus is still having an ill effect on his homeland.
Golding survived through his parliamentary majority. But a war of words which he's joined has broken out between Nelson and former top cop and army chief Hardley Lewin. Lewis alleged Dudus was "tipped" off about the extradition request within 15 minutes after Lewin had informed Nelson of it. Nelson has hit back by alleging Lewin violated an ancient Official Secrets Act of Jamaica by speaking. On Thursday Lewin suggested Jamaica's army take over drain and gully cleaning projects from community gang leader "dons" and "donnas."Despite shaky standing in the domestic affair, Golding received regional support from fellow leaders Ricky Skerrit of Dominica and Antigua's Baldwin Spencer on Monday. Skerrit, saying leaders had no objection to Golding leading Caricom, added:"What he's doing in Jamaica is supported in terms of fighting criminals and all of us regional leaders and citizens must play our part because crime is a societal problem. His elevation to chairmanship could be a blessing since at regional level he could also push that particular agenda needed in the other islands."
Indeed, Golding at Sunday's Caricom opening promoted his anti-gang agenda, warning:"Rooting out criminal gangs that have embedded themselves in communities will leave a huge space which, if not filled by meaningful programmes that empower people, provide training, create jobs, generate new opportunities and offer hope, will shortly thereafter be filled by a new smarter generation of criminals." Golding is still fending off attacks on the JLP's reported hire of US firm Manaat Phelps and Phillips to help fight the extradition effort. When asked about continuing calls for him to "go," Golding told reporters Wednesday, "Wat wrong with dat?! Let dem call..." Rev Al Miller, who reportedly attempted to take Dudus to a surrender checkpoint when US authorities nabbed him–movie style–is facing charges from the issue.
Dudus himself returns before US courts on September 7, facing over US$4 million in fines as well as life sentence on his charges.The departure of Dudus' brother with US authorities has left the Tivoli machine leaderless. Security officials say there is jockying among minor aspirants for the top post.
However, killings that might have been expected from the leadership vacuum have not materialised since security forces are thick in Tivoli and St Catherines, the garrison where Dudus was arrested (in a wig).
The garrison concept may strike a chord locally, considering criticisms of the previous Manning administration for alleged ties with community and gang leaders including Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr. In October, 2008, former Minister Donna Cox said T&T had 81 gangs with ten to 50 members each. In 2005, former Minister Martin Joseph said there were 66 gangs with between 1,290 and 1,700 members. It remains to be seen if the PP administration pursues omnibus anti-gang legislation–including wiretapping laws and an Official Secrets Act like Jamaica–which the PNM Government had formulated. Persad-Bissessar's Kingston visit yesterday may not have taken her close to Dudus' homestead. But it was probably close enough to Golding and his Government to see the lessons of the "legend" Dudus left behind.