Last night we told you about the passing of former police commissioner Ornel Brooks. The 63 year old was cremated today and after a memorial service on Monday, his remains will be taken back to Gallon Jug, where he was born. And while there are so many stories about this particular boy from Gallon Jug - today Jules Vasquez went into the archives - specifically the years between 1996 and 1999 - when Brooks - then in his mid to late 40's - emerged as the most media engaged police commissioner ever. You might not remember, but for a while there, his media appearances dominated the national discourse, and sometimes he even outshined his ministers, Dean Barrow and Jorge Espat. Jules Vasquez marvels at how things have changed from Brooksy's days:..
ComPol Allan Whylie
"As I said I was out of office, so I can't comment. I need to get into office to see what have been said, what has been submitted to me before I could say something."
Geivanni Brackett, reporter
"Have you heard anything on the news?"
ComPol Allan Whylie
"No."
Jules Vasquez reporting
Didn't see the news? Ornel Brooks was the news! He was the first modern police commissioner Belize knew. Modern in the sense that he was fully engaged with the media. He didn't hide behind hollow press officers - he didn't even have one, neither did he skulk away from the cameras, Brooks put on his best suit whether camouflage or business, and engaged the media frontally and fearlessly. ?No commissioner of police before or after carried himself with such singular swagger.
When I recall Ornel Brooks the only term that comes to mind is "deep game" - his soundbytes, his lawman's lexicon were extraordinary:
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Ornell Brooks, Former ComPol
"From the psychological and forensic aspect"
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Ornell Brooks, Former ComPol
"Utter criminal propaganda"
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Ornell Brooks, Former ComPol
"My professional and institutional ethics do not allow me or permit me to go into the details or nature of what was contained therein."
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Ornell Brooks, Former ComPol
"There was no tactical intelligence that this incident would have occur."
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Ornell Brooks, Former ComPol
"The law also provides that we must use force and lethal force if and when necessary."
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Ornell Brooks, Former ComPol
"Because policemen don't cry, but the threats that were made to the lives of my detectives and also myself we will never cower in this case. We did what we had to do."
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Ornell Brooks, Former ComPol
"And the chips shall fall where they should."
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Ornell Brooks, Former ComPol
"In effect there is no connectivity."
What language!
Looking back now, what strikes me is his certainty, his sense of narrative exposition - even his ability to lay down a psychological profile at a moment's notice:
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Ornell Brooks, Former ComPol
"To me Mr. Mangar and I say this without fear, is psychopathic. I know him, he has the dual personality."
He did that without blinking - and it's the kind of cocksureness so sadly missing from today's top cops, a succession of colorless characters, shuffling from one dreary press encounter to the next.
We'll probably never have another Commissioner Brooks, but it is enough that we had one ComPol who was never camera shy.
There will be a memorial service for Brooks on Monday at 2:00 pm at St. John's Cathedral.
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