Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) has hit again towards claims that it solely speaks out when civilians are killed by police however stays silent when lawmen are murdered.
The human rights watchdog insists it condemns all acts of violence, together with assaults on legislation enforcement, whereas calling for better transparency and accountability within the wake of a dramatic rise in deadly police shootings. In accordance with JFJ, 50 folks have been fatally shot by members of the safety forces for the reason that begin of 2025, greater than doubling the 19 recorded throughout the identical interval in 2024.
JFJ stated the numerous enhance within the variety of deadly shootings involving members of the safety forces “represents an unacceptable and troubling pattern that threatens Jamaica’s democratic ideas and human rights developments.”
“If this pattern persists, Jamaica dangers regressing to the darkish days earlier than the institution of the Unbiased Fee of Investigations, when accountability for safety power actions was nearly non-existent.”
It stated that the progress now we have made up to now decade in holding legislation enforcement accountable and defending human rights is at severe danger.
“If this pattern continues, Jamaica may see over 250 residents killed by members of the safety forces by the tip of the 12 months – a quantity that might rival the darkish 2000s and positively the 258 fatalities recorded in 2013.”
In the meantime, JFJ govt director, Mickel Jackson, emphasised that the organisation’s position is to not oppose the police, however to advocate for the very best requirements of professionalism and accountability inside the power.
“If a legislation enforcement officer is killed, that is one thing that JFJ condemns. We will respect that that is an assault on the state itself, so we strongly condemn any such incident,” Jackson stated.
“We stand with the great women and men of the Jamaica Constabulary Drive (JCF), however we present our assist by guaranteeing that officers act with the very best stage of integrity in executing their duties.”
The human rights watchdog has raised considerations concerning the lack of transparency in deadly police encounters, notably in relation to body-worn cameras. Whereas the JCF not too long ago reported a rise within the variety of body-worn cameras, now deployed to about 750 officers, Jackson questioned their use in current deadly incidents.
“If the JCF has 750 cameras deployed, the place are they in these deadly incidents?” she questioned.
