A war of words has developed between former National Security Minister Derrick Smith and former Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams over the vacant police commissioner post.

Smith fired the first salvo on Sunday when he told cheering Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters that the former head of the controversial Crime Management Unit (CMU) would offer nothing to the police force.

On Monday, the retort from Adams was equally biting as he fired back at Smith who, while serving as opposition spokesman on crime, was a regular critic of the CMU.

The start

In opening the verbal battle Smith declared: "It would be foolhardy, dealing with the facts and not emotion, to think that Mr Adams can do anything about the reduction of crime and violence in this country".

While making it clear that he was speaking in a private capacity and not on behalf of the Bruce Golding administration, Smith charged that there was a spike in murders and other major crimes during the time Adams led the CMU, which was the police's elite force.

Controversial killings

Smith also pointed to a number of controversial killings of persons, including known JLP supporters, by the CMU.

"Labourites in here will remember the death of 'Punky' at Jacques Road; they will remember the death of 'Jackie' in Spanish Town; they will remember the death of 'Phang' from Grants Pen in Pembroke Hall, they will remember the death of the seven in Braeton; they will remember the deaths of the people in Kraal, including the two women under the bed, and they will remember the 27 here in West Kingston," Smith said.

He noted that the decision to appoint a new police commissioner would be made by the Police Services Commission (PSC) and urged JLP supporters not to get caught by the hype of the "likeable and charismatic" Adams.

However, the former senior superintendent had no good words for Smith, who served as national security minister for some eight months before he was replaced by Colonel Trevor MacMillan.

"I think when they appointed Mr Smith security minister it had the most horrible decision that has ever taken place in the history of Jamaica's policing," Adams told The Gleaner.

"His selection, in the first place, was horrible and that was even before he became ill and unable to function in the post," said Adams.

He pointed the former security minister to Facebook and other social networking sites where thousands of people have expressed their support for him.

The group dubbed 'Adams for Commissioner 2010' had logged 5,265 by yesterday morning, less than two weeks after being established.

Adams, a tough-talking former street cop, has repeatedly argued that he would provide the force with an "operational commissioner", who would be on the streets with the men and the women of the force.

He has claimed that, in the past, the force was served by commissioners who spent too much time at their desks.

The PSC is poised to invite applications for the police commissioner's post to replace Hardley Lewin, who resigned recently.

Owen Ellington, the acting commissioner, is tipped to be given the job permanently.