INJURED 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL MUST REMAIN A PRIORITY, SAYS POLICE COMMISSIONER
Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake says the safety and recovery of a ten-year-old girl injured during the deadly confrontation between police and gunmen in Sligoville, St Catherine, must remain a priority, stressing that the child bears no responsibility for the violence in which she was caught.
The Commissioner said the girl’s injuries were a painful reminder of the far-reaching consequences of violent criminality, particularly for children and other innocent family members whose lives are affected by the actions of their relatives.
The child, who is the daughter of one of the three gunmen killed during the confrontation, was injured in the incident that also claimed the lives of Corporal Trevoy Shaw and Constable Devoney Rose.
Writing in his weekly Commissioner’s Corner in the Force Orders, Dr Blake said the circumstances surrounding the incident should not diminish concern for the injured child.
“There is, however, another side to this tragedy that we must not overlook. A ten-year-old girl was injured during the gun battle. She is a child. Whatever the circumstances surrounding her presence, she did not deserve to be caught in the path of violence.
Her safety and recovery must remain a priority,” the Commissioner said.
According to Dr Blake, the two police officers had gone to Sligoville as part of an operation targeting a high-risk criminal when they came under heavy gunfire.
Three gunmen were subsequently shot and killed. The Commissioner said the incident had brought into sharp focus the dangers faced by police officers, as well as the suffering experienced by families caught in the consequences of violent crime.
He noted that criminal activity frequently causes lasting harm to the relatives of those involved, including children who have no control over the decisions made by their parents.
“And when a child is injured in a gun battle involving her own father, we are reminded of the devastating reach of violence. Criminality does not exist in isolation. Its consequences travel into homes, across communities and into the lives of people who never chose that path,” Dr Blake said.
Dr Blake said compassion for affected families should be maintained alongside the Force’s responsibility to confront individuals who threaten the lives of innocent people.
He also highlighted the wider consequences of criminal violence, including the fear and uncertainty experienced by families whose relatives become involved in criminal activities.
The Commissioner said the tragedy reinforced the importance of the JCF’s responsibility to protect communities and create safer environments for children.
Dr Blake urged members to remain compassionate and professional as the Force continues to mourn the deaths of its two colleagues.
