Unprofessional conduct threatens police gains, Commissioner warns
Police Commissioner, Dr Kevin Blake is warning that unprofessional behaviour by officers risks undermining recent progress in reducing violent crime, including murders.
In his latest weekly column in Force Orders, Dr Blake said that while the organisation is recording “very encouraging results” in its crime reduction efforts, incidents captured on social media point to conduct that is “cause for grave concern”.
“I want to draw your attention to a troubling and related matter… some videos of unprofessional conduct of a few of our members are surfacing and are cause for grave concern,” he wrote.
The Commissioner framed the issue as one that goes beyond individual officers, warning that public perception of misconduct is often generalised to the entire organisation. “If you notice in the comments of these social media videos, very few persons speak about the member as an individual, but instead as the JCF. That includes you and I,” he said.
Dr Blake emphasised that the Force’s long-term strategic objective; to bring Jamaica’s murder rate in line with global averages; depends not only on operational effectiveness but also on maintaining public trust. “Colleagues, we have a mission that we are committed to realise… But we will not achieve that target if we lose our legitimacy among the people,” he stated.
The comments come against the backdrop of the JCF’s ongoing transformation agenda, which is anchored in strengthening professionalism, enhancing accountability, and improving service delivery. The organisation has in recent years pointed to sustained reductions in major crimes as evidence of a more intelligence-led and disciplined policing approach.
However, the Commissioner made it clear that such gains remain vulnerable if standards of conduct are not consistently upheld across the Force. “There is no conflict between professionalism and firmness. Only the weak in the mind believe that both cannot coexist,” he said.
He urged members to actively challenge inappropriate behaviour among colleagues, reinforcing a culture of accountability within the ranks. “I want you to share the High Command’s intolerance of these behaviours whenever you are on duty with a colleague who believes that to be firm is to be unprofessional. A word to the wise is sufficient. Enough said.”
The Commissioner’s remarks signal a continued focus on internal discipline as a critical pillar of the JCF’s modernisation efforts, with leadership insisting that legitimacy, professionalism and operational success must advance together in delivering effective law enforcement services to the Jamaican public.
