Author of Police Dept.’s Crooks Report wanted for sex offences
Harold Crooks
Most people would recognize the name Harold Crooks, he is the man who gave a damning report and recommended over a hundred ways to fix the police department. In fact the Minister of National Security, Carlos Perdomo, and the police hierarchy often pull out the report when questioned about how to deal with the rampant crime… and that’s very often. But Crooks is today in a lot of hot water back home in Jamaica where he is on the run and is wanted by the law. His troubles began brewing days ago and now police are looking for him since he has not handed himself in. The allegation against him is over sex related offences. News Five’s Marion Ali picks up this story.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Remember Harold Crooks? The former Special Force Commandant from Jamaica who was commissioned to conduct a six month analysis of the Belize Police Department? Crooks was then paid by the current Government to prepare this one hundred and forty-six page document known as the “Crooks Report” with his recommendations of how to improve the Belize Police Department.
Well, has Harold Crooks become Dirty Harry, the Crook? We ask because he is now one on the list of alleged sex offenders who have been to Belize. News Five today got confirmation from the Jamaica Constabulary Force that the Jamaican Police are making a public appeal to Crooks to hand himself in. The Jamaican Constabulary Force in that island’s capital, Kingston, has issued this Police Press Release, stating that Crooks is to immediately report to them because they want to interview him as part of an ongoing investigation over sex-related offences. The Jamaican Police 
press release further states that arrangements were made last week for Crooks and his attorney to meet with them, but Crooks failed to show up. Subsequent efforts by the police to locate him, including at his house, have proven unsuccessful.
Today’s edition of the Jamaica Observer online has quoted Crooks’ attorney, Vincent Wellesley, as saying that despite his attempts on Monday to persuade Crooks to surrender to the law, he refused to hand himself over. Wellesley could not confirm if Crooks was even still in Jamaica because when Crooks called him it was from a private number. The Jamaica Observer reports that police on the island launched a manhunt for Crooks over the past weekend after he failed on two occasions to show up for an interview at the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse last week. The newspaper has quoted the head of the Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offenses and Child Abuse, Herfa Beckford, that “Anywhere in the world he is we are going to find him”.
Harold Crooks was in Belize from June until November of 2008 after the U.D.P.’ government contracted him to come up with the Crooks Report. He has never been back to Belize since he left and portions of the document he produced have since been implemented. In fact his recommendations are seen as the way forward for the police report. Marion Ali for News Five.
Let’s hope they find the Special Constabulary Force commandant before he hurt another child. I think a new report on the police department is needed right away.
I hope that the police department in Jamaica deals with this kind of crime differently than the police department in Belize.
i knew from that stupid report that we belizeans are always taken as that favorite word from the p.m on the last sitting of the house we paid that crook some tax dollars an for what crime is at it worst sounds like we do not have competent intellectuals here at home but we can still imgine because looks that is only what we are go for
Hahahaha! Poor UDP – everything is just going so wrong for them. They never did their home work did they?
listen, whether the allegations prove to be true or false. the only thing that remains constant is that mr. crooks and everyone on the planet are human. Bill Clinton was a womanizer, but he was a good president. Ronald Reagan, well, George Bush senior wow…so much can be said about him, and wasn’t he perfect, he didn’t sleep around. It’s just a poor attempt at political mileage. do i think its a story for the news? yes i do. Should we care to make a big deal about the man’s life? My dear Watson, NO!
Things like this is going to continue happening in Belize because we look up to every foreigner tha arrives in Belize but ourselves.Wake up Belize get out of that brain washed mentality.What happen to background check.This is the reason why all the foreign criminals are using Belize as a safe haven.What’s next?Will the Prime Minister higher one of America’smost wanted to be his body guard?
it is not for UDP you fool, please read the news and then you can put your comment, don’t you read that it is for the past administrative. read and then you can post your comment……
I am not a partisan person so lets give Barrow only as much of the bad as he deserves. I do know that it is in order to look at Mr. Crooks disparagingly now after this bit of news because as a law man he should know how to conduct himself in such a manner to avoid ill repute. Can I inject this point that his no show might be is a sign of personal guilt!
Artdom in response to your comment It is always a good thing to get someone from out side of any system or business that is being reviewed to do the review. The result tends to have less bias and it is looked at from a different perspective.
In this life we all need to trust someone and him being part of the constabulary of Jamaica was a good choice to do the report so he did not only let down himself but his country, the Jamaican PD and th Belizean government. His bad choice is neither a sign of lack of knowledge because every crook know what they are doing. I will conclude by saying let’s not throw out the baby in the bath water! The report has much good in it! Further more we have many bad cops in Belize also but we still count on them in times of trouble! Nuf said!
How does the saying go again? Put a thief to catch a thief? Well obviously Crook knew what he was talking about in his report. I wouldnt totally give up on credibility of his report. Was kinda coming straight from the horse’s mouth.
he really disgraces the law, since he’s the one to show the law enforcers to behave and to serve and protect but it’s like the doctor smoking his cigarrete and telling you not to smoke cause it gives cancer. damn! we can’t trust no one except ourselves nowadays.
wether dah PUP or UDP this man need to be in jail, hope they catch him ……. for a good while.Sounds like he need a rest
I DON’T SEE THE CONNECTION THAT MR. CROOKS CRIME WILL AFFECT HIS REPORT BECAUSE HIS PERSONAL LIFE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HIS PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE.
NEVERTHELESS, I BELIEVE THEIR ARE MANY BELIZEANS THAT ARE CAPABLE OF HAVE DONE THE CONSULTATION AND PRODUCE A BETTER REPORT BECAUSE WE ARE MORE AWARE OF THE TRUE CRIME PROBLEMS.
THAT MONEY PAID TO MRS.CROOKS COULD HAVE BEEN PAID TO A BELIZEAN TO PRODUCE A SIMILAR REPORT.
With all respect due to most of the above comments, all of this shows very poor judgement and extremely poor decision making in the Barrow administration. Consequently, the buck stops with the leadership of the country, therefore they Barrow administration must bear the full burden of responsibility. Without a shadow of a doubt the country of Belize is suffering from a very serious “leadership crisis”. It is time to replace the current leaders, Barrow, Perdomo and Jeffries must go. Furthermore, it demonstrates that the UDP administrations’ style of governance has failed the Belizean populace miserably. Wake up Belizeans,These are signs of the times.