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http://english.aljazeera.net/program...334575952.html
I see the world taking notice
With 268 armed gangs or neighbourhood 'corner crews' locked in deadly turf wars, Jamaica is one of the most violent societies on earth.
With a population of less than three million people, police kill hundreds of people every year in what they claim are crime-related shootouts, making Jamaica's police force among the deadliest in the world.
Rights groups say that these shootings add up to a campaign of extra-judicial executions carried out by police who have taken the law into their own hands.
The official police response to these allegations cannot be recorded - the commissioner has issued standing orders which ban all officers from speaking to foreign journalists.
But, as reporter Simon Ostrovsky discovered, many others in Jamaica are prepared to speak out. One of them, Robert Hill, an entertainer, actually warned of his own impending death.
"Hello Jamaica. I'm Robert Hill AKA Kentucky Kid. I really don't know what is going on but all I know, police are covering up for each other and they're trying to kill me," Hill explained in a video message.
Robert Hill installed a video camera in his house because he was concerned about his safety Hill went on to explain how his car had been hit by a police car that had passed through a red light.
Hills car was badly damaged in the incident and he was taken to the police station to give a written statement.
But after waiting for four hours, Hill was sent home and told to return within 24 hours to submit the statement.
When he returned the following day, the police told him that they could not take his statement.
"They told me that they could not take my statement, [and asked] why I did not give it [at] the time of the accident. I told them that Sergeant Gardener told me to return to give it," Hill explained.
When he refused to leave without providing a statement, Hill said he was physically forced out of the building.
"All I know is I can't get any justice. Who will fix my car? Who will take care of my health?" Hill asked in his video message.
http://english.aljazeera.net/program...334575952.html
I see the world taking notice
With 268 armed gangs or neighbourhood 'corner crews' locked in deadly turf wars, Jamaica is one of the most violent societies on earth.
With a population of less than three million people, police kill hundreds of people every year in what they claim are crime-related shootouts, making Jamaica's police force among the deadliest in the world.
Rights groups say that these shootings add up to a campaign of extra-judicial executions carried out by police who have taken the law into their own hands.
The official police response to these allegations cannot be recorded - the commissioner has issued standing orders which ban all officers from speaking to foreign journalists.
But, as reporter Simon Ostrovsky discovered, many others in Jamaica are prepared to speak out. One of them, Robert Hill, an entertainer, actually warned of his own impending death.
"Hello Jamaica. I'm Robert Hill AKA Kentucky Kid. I really don't know what is going on but all I know, police are covering up for each other and they're trying to kill me," Hill explained in a video message.
Robert Hill installed a video camera in his house because he was concerned about his safety Hill went on to explain how his car had been hit by a police car that had passed through a red light.Hills car was badly damaged in the incident and he was taken to the police station to give a written statement.
But after waiting for four hours, Hill was sent home and told to return within 24 hours to submit the statement.
When he returned the following day, the police told him that they could not take his statement.
"They told me that they could not take my statement, [and asked] why I did not give it [at] the time of the accident. I told them that Sergeant Gardener told me to return to give it," Hill explained.
When he refused to leave without providing a statement, Hill said he was physically forced out of the building.
"All I know is I can't get any justice. Who will fix my car? Who will take care of my health?" Hill asked in his video message.