POLICE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY DANGEROUS GUNMEN, COMMISSIONER
Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake has declared that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) will not be intimidated by dangerous gunmen or abandon its pursuit of violent criminals, following the killing of two police officers during an operation in Sligoville, St Catherine.
The Commissioner said the deaths of Corporal Trevoy Shaw and Constable Devoney Rose had reinforced the dangers faced by members of the Force, but insisted that the JCF would remain resolute in confronting individuals who threaten the safety and security of Jamaicans.
Writing in his weekly Commissioner’s Corner in the Force Orders, Dr Blake said the reputation, connections or perceived influence of violent offenders would not deter the police from carrying out their duties.
“No criminal, regardless of reputation, connections or the fear he may inspire, is above the law. A high-risk designation is not a badge of honour. It is a warning of the danger that an individual may pose and the seriousness with which we must approach the task of bringing that person to justice.”
The Commissioner was responding to the fatal confrontation in Sligoville, during which Corporal Shaw and Constable Rose were killed while participating in an operation targeting a high-risk criminal.
Dr Blake said the officers had gone to the community to carry out their lawful duties when they were met with heavy gunfire.
Three gunmen were subsequently shot and killed, while a ten-year-old girl, identified as the daughter of one of the gunmen, was injured during the incident.
“They did not go looking for trouble. They went to carry out their lawful duty, as thousands of you do every day, often in circumstances where the threat to your own lives is very real. They went because this country expects its police officers to confront those who threaten the safety and security of our people.”
Dr Blake noted that the two officers had no family connections to the community but had gone there because its residents needed protection.
He said their deaths represented a painful reminder of the sacrifices made by police officers in the execution of their duties.
“Tragically, two families will now have to confront the unbearable reality that their loved ones will not be coming home,” he said.
The Commissioner said criminals who choose to confront the police with deadly violence must understand the consequences of their actions.
“Those who choose a life of violent crime must understand that their actions carry consequences, and they cannot expect the police to stand aside while they threaten the lives of our members and the wider public,” he said.
Dr Blake also condemned the glorification of dangerous criminals, arguing that individuals who terrorise communities through violence should not be celebrated or admired.
“These hardened criminals who make a living through violence, who kill and maim, who terrorise communities and leave families to grieve, have no legitimate claim to admiration. They destroy lives, undermine the peace of communities and force innocent people to live in fear.”
The Commissioner said the Force would continue targeting dangerous offenders and disrupting the criminal networks responsible for violence across the country.
