POLICE COMMISSIONER URGES COMPASSION FOR FAMILIES OF SLAIN SLIGOVILLE GUNMEN DESPITE KILLING OF TWO OFFICERS
Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake has urged members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to show compassion towards the families of three gunmen killed during a deadly confrontation with the police in Sligoville, St Catherine, despite the deaths of two officers in the incident.
The Commissioner said the grief experienced by the relatives of the deceased men should not be dismissed because of their alleged criminal activities, reminding members that the families of violent offenders also suffer the consequences of their actions.
Writing in his weekly Commissioner’s Corner in the Force Orders, Dr Blake said the JCF must remain resolute in confronting violent criminality while preserving its humanity towards those affected by violence.
“We must also remember the families of the gunmen who were killed. Their grief must not be dismissed simply because of the actions of their relatives. A mother who loses a son still experiences the pain of that loss. A child who loses a father must still face the reality of growing up without him.”
The Commissioner acknowledged that some families may have spent years trying to persuade their relatives to abandon criminal activities, only to be left grieving when those efforts failed.
“A family may have spent years worrying about the choices of a loved one, pleading with him to change his ways, and living with the fear of what might happen next. They, too, may be left to carry an enormous burden of sorrow, disappointment and uncertainty. We must never lose our humanity in the pursuit of justice.”
The Commissioner’s comments follow the deadly confrontation in Sligoville in which Corporal Trevoy
Shaw and Constable Devoney Rose were killed while participating in an operation targeting a high-risk criminal.
The officers came under heavy gunfire while carrying out their duties. Three gunmen were subsequently shot and killed, while a ten-year-old girl, identified as the daughter of one of the deceased men, was injured during the incident.
The Commissioner described the deaths of the two officers as a painful reminder of the dangers faced by members of the JCF and extended condolences to their families.
However, Dr Blake said compassion for the families of the deceased gunmen should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the violent conduct that led to the confrontation.
“Compassion for grieving families must not be confused with sympathy for the violent choices that brought about this tragedy. We can acknowledge their pain without excusing the conduct of the deceased. We can respect their grief without glorifying the gunmen.”
The Commissioner said the JCF would continue confronting individuals who threaten the lives of innocent people, while ensuring that its actions remain within the law.
“We can extend compassion to their families while remaining absolutely resolute that those who threaten the lives of innocent people must be confronted within the law,” he said.
Dr Blake also drew attention to the wider suffering caused by criminal violence, particularly among the relatives of individuals involved in criminal activities.
“Indeed, one of the cruelest consequences of violent criminality is the misery it brings upon the very families to which these criminals belong,” he said.
He pointed to mothers who fear for the safety of their sons, children who grow up exposed to violence and spouses who live with uncertainty about the future.
“These are consequences that extend far beyond the person who chooses to carry a gun and use it against others,” the Commissioner said.
Particular concern was expressed for the ten-year-old girl injured during the confrontation.
“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,” Dr Blake said.
He described the child’s injuries as a reminder of the far-reaching consequences of criminal violence, including the suffering experienced by people who have made no choice to become involved in criminal activities.
“Criminality does not exist in isolation. Its consequences travel into homes, across communities and into the lives of people who never chose that path,” he said.
The Commissioner urged members of the JCF to remain sensitive to the loss of life, even as they continued their efforts to confront dangerous criminals.
“We must never become indifferent to the loss of life, whether that loss involves a member of the Force, an innocent citizen or a person whose own choices have led to a tragic end,” he said.
Dr Blake said the Force must continue to carry out its responsibilities with courage, professionalism and respect for the law, despite the emotional impact of losing two colleagues.
He also urged members to support one another and the families of their fallen colleagues as the organisation continues to mourn.
