SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY AND OVERSIGHT

Greetings again my distinguished Colleagues. I trust you and your loved ones are doing well. On Friday last, 107 members were promoted to the rank of Sergeants after successfully completing the Sergeant Development Course. Let me on behalf of the High Command and the wider JCF offer heartiest congratulations. For the new Sergeants, while you rightfully celebrate your well deserved elevation, remember the true purpose of promotion is to strengthen supervision within the JCF, and to provide high quality leadership to your juniors. I know we spoke on this topic before, but it is worth re-emphasizing the importance of supervision in ensuring accountability, especially in these times when the call for increased accountability is so loud from a small corner. And Colleagues, while this medium is intended to be a space where we can have our discussion internally, it has become a more public conversation. But don’t get me wrong, this is not a complaint. It is good that it has grown beyond our walls. What this means however, that things we discussed can be, and sometimes are taken out of context and published with a different meaning from what was originally intended. And so first, let me reiterate that I fully embrace oversight and accountability. Oversight does not scare us. Instead, it helps to shape us into the great organization that we have become.

As we have a chat about supervision and accountability, I want to jog your memory a little bit about how we as police officers got here in the first place, and what is being here like. Recall yourself as – especially many of us who are now up in age – the young ambitious and aspiring, in many cases, late teenager with a goal to become a police officer. Recall the anxiety and impatience that you experience when you have to wait for so long after you had successfully sat the entry test. Much of this wait period was to facilitate our deep dive background check to ensure that you were ethically, morally and socially sound to even be considered to be a member of the JCF. This selection procedure also includes the polygraphing of every person.

Once you became successful, then you started the 8 months of training and development. I will discuss this process of training a bit more in another Corner. However, just to say that it is probably one of the most rigorously supervised activities within the JCF. After you had completed your training then you had to demonstrate to your Commanding Officer, under whose watch you were placed, that you are ready to be confirmed as a Constable after 2 years of probation. For the benefit of our external guests of the Corner, this period involves weekly lectures with periodic assessments and examinations; defined assignments, and guidance not only from the Division’s supervisors, but also from the Department of Recruitment at the National Police College of Jamaica.

Your confirmation brought you fully into a system of immense oversight and accountability, as now a confirmed Constable with significant professional autonomy given to you by the Constabulary Force Act. This level of autonomy requires a very strong system of accountability to ensure that we behave responsibly with this power given to us. The system involves the vetting of each member as part of all promotion procedures. It includes an Administrative Review of any operation that has led to the use of deadly or injurious Force, while the involved members are taken off frontline duty. It includes very strong oversight by the Inspectorate and Professional Standards Oversight Bureau (IPROB) that is responsible for monitoring compliance with procedures, professional standards, and investigating internal misconduct. It includes disciplinary mechanisms such as Orderly Room and Court of Enquiry that can result in very grave consequences for proven misconduct. It includes one of the highest hierarchy of supervision and management. It includes numerous comprehensive policies and procedures that guide our daily activities and behaviour.

We are fortunate to also have several other external oversight bodies that help to strengthen our accountability system. Some of these include:

  1. The Police Service Commission – that oversees appointments, promotions, and disciplinary actions involving gazetted officers (Inspectors and above).
  2. Parliamentary Committees – such as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Internal and External Affairs Committee, which may review aspects of the JCF’s performance, particularly related to budgeting and national security.
  3. The Office of the Public Defender – that may intervene in matters involving alleged human rights abuses or unfair treatment by police officers.
  4. The Auditor General’s Department – that reviews the use of public funds, including those allocated to the JCF, ensuring financial accountability.
  5. The Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA) – which is a statutory body that plays a key role in promoting accountability, professionalism, and efficiency within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).
  6. The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) – that investigates allegations of abuse, misconduct, and use of force by members of the security forces, including the JCF.

Colleagues, if you are still reading, you probably are getting exhausted by this week’s lengthy Corner. But please bear with me as I am also enlightening our guests in the face of a call for greater accountability for the JCF. And so we discuss a few oversight bodies, let’s now take a quick look at some of our stakeholder Advocacy groups. These include, inter alia:

  1. Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) – A prominent human rights organization that is supposed to advocate for police accountability, justice reform, and victims’ rights.
  2. Stand Up for Jamaica, that focuses on human rights, prison reform, and social justice, often addressing issues related to law enforcement conduct.
  3. Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC) that advocates for the rights of marginalized groups and addresses police-related abuses affecting these communities.
  4. Amnesty International – Jamaica Chapter that works on various human rights issues, including excessive use of force by police.
  5. Human Rights Watch (International, but active in Jamaica), has published reports on police abuses and has worked with local partners to highlight rights violations.
  6. Freedom Imaginaries (formerly Fi Wi Jamaica) that works on gender, justice, and social equity, sometimes addressing policing and community safety issues.
  7. National Integrity Action (NIA) that primarily focused on anti-corruption, but has advocated for transparency and accountability in law enforcement.

Colleagues and guests, do you believe that we are lacking in oversight and accountability mechanisms? I agree with you, I do not think we are. If one can think of additional accountability instrument or system that would complement those above, I would gladly embrace that too. However, by simply shouting loudly about the need for greater accountability without basis or context is not very useful. Let me hasten to say that this is not a call to silence criticism—far from it. Constructive dialogue, transparency, and accountability are vital to democratic policing. But such dialogue must be grounded in facts, fairness, and a respect for the principles of justice, including the presumption of innocence. Advocacy must not cross the line into vilification.

As Commissioner, I reaffirm the JCF’s commitment to protecting lives—both civilian and police—and to doing so with professionalism, restraint, and respect for human rights. We will continue to engage with civil society, but we will also defend the integrity and courage of you our members who serve with honour.

To you my Colleagues, and our guests, let us move forward together, not divided by rhetoric, but united in a shared goal: a safer, and a more just Jamaica for all.

I wish for you and yours a peaceful and blessed weekend. Until next week, walk good.