Police Must Remain Accountable Despite Deadly Confrontations with Criminals, says Commissioner
POLICE MUST REMAIN ACCOUNTABLE DESPITE DEADLY CONFRONTATIONS WITH CRIMINALS, SAYS COMMISSIONER
Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake has reaffirmed that members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) must remain accountable for their actions, even when confronting dangerous criminals, insisting that officers who breach the law or established professional standards must be held responsible.
The Commissioner said legitimate scrutiny of police conduct remained essential but cautioned against what he described as attempts to vilify officers simply because they confront violent offenders.
His comments come in the aftermath of the deadly confrontation in Sligoville, St Catherine, in which Corporal Trevoy Shaw and Constable Devoney Rose were killed while participating in an operation targeting a high-risk criminal.
Three gunmen were also killed during the incident, while a ten-year-old girl, identified as the daughter of one of the deceased men, was injured.
Writing in his weekly Commissioner’s Corner in the Force Orders, Dr Blake said the police must continue to uphold the law and maintain professional standards, regardless of the circumstances in which they operate.
“That does not mean that we are beyond criticism. We are accountable for our conduct, and where we fall short of the law or our professional standards, those matters must be addressed. But accountability must never become an excuse to vilify officers simply because they confront dangerous criminals,” he said.
The Commissioner said it was important to distinguish between legitimate examination of police conduct and what he described as deliberate attempts to misrepresent confrontations involving violent offenders.
“We must be capable of distinguishing between legitimate scrutiny of our conduct and the deliberate distortion of events to make violent offenders appear to be victims of the very people who are trying to stop them,” he said.
Dr Blake expressed concern about individuals who defend and glorify dangerous criminals while portraying the police as enemies of the communities they serve.
He questioned the response of those who appear willing to defend gunmen following incidents in which police officers have been killed in the execution of their duties.
“When two officers are killed in the execution of their duty, what message are we sending when our first instinct is to defend the gunmen, condemn the police and disregard the lives that have been lost?” he asked.
The Commissioner maintained that the JCF would continue pursuing dangerous offenders but stressed that operations must be conducted with sound judgment, respect for the law and the professionalism expected of police officers.
“We will continue to pursue those who use violence to terrorise our citizens. We will continue to target dangerous offenders, disrupt criminal networks, dismantle the operations that sustain them and work with our partners and law-abiding communities to make Jamaica safer,” he said.
“We will do so with courage, with sound judgment, with respect for the law and with the professionalism that the uniform demands.”
He called for careful planning and discipline in police operations, emphasising the importance of protecting the lives of members while carrying out their responsibilities.
“Your lives matter, and your families matter. We must do everything within our power to ensure that every operation is approached with the care, planning and discipline that the circumstances demand,” the Commissioner said.
Dr Blake said the JCF would remain resolute in confronting violent criminality while maintaining its commitment to lawful and professional policing.
Dr Blake urged members to remain compassionate and professional as the Force continues to mourn the deaths of its two colleagues.
