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Mr Terrence Williams, the head of the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), must be regretting his decision to appear at a Jamaicans For Justice (JFJ) press conference this week at which the Jamaica Constabulary Force was rightly criticised for the large number of police killings so far this year.
By now, Mr Williams, we suspect, would have recognised the grave error of his action as it has the potential to stain public perception of his office.
In fact, we now see that the integrity of the commission is being questioned by the Police Federation which, on Wednesday, called for Mr Williams to resign.
The Federation, in making its call, reminded the public that INDECOM is an independent body set up to investigate complaints of abuses by members of the security forces, especially in cases of shooting.
While that is true, we cannot sanction the call by the Police Federation, as from our recollection, Mr Williams, at no time during the press conference, expressed any view that could be considered as biased against the police.
In fact, Mr Williams, we believe, did well to remain neutral in his comments, even as he expressed concern about the number of killings by agents of the state and complained that his investigators were not receiving the full co-operation of the police in some of the cases that come before the commission.
Unfortunate as that is, we must admit that we had expected resistance to INDECOM from within the ranks of the police force, as that is the experience of other such commissions in other jurisdictions.
However, the commission's function is necessary, as there exists a genuine need for accountability on the part of the police and transparency in the investigation of all allegations of abuse.
But even as we acknowledge and support INDECOM's important role, we cannot ignore the fact that policing in Jamaica is one of the most dangerous and difficult jobs.
No one can deny that our police frequently come face to face with hardened, brazen criminals who don't think twice about engaging members of the security forces, sometimes in situations where these criminals are outnumbered.
The fact that these scum have resurfaced after their fearful retreat following the events of May 2010 when the State was forced to exert its authority, speaks to their total disregard for law and order.
It also demonstrates that they have no respect for other people's right to life and that they are hell-bent on destroying this country's opportunity to attract investment that will create jobs and thus grow the economy.
In that kind of environment, it is therefore necessary that the police benefit from public trust, as communication between both parties is vital in our efforts to reduce crime.
That trust, as we said before, will grow when people are convinced about the integrity of investigations into allegations of police abuse and when people no longer regard the police as their enemy.
To be fair to the constabulary, it has made significant investments in reshaping its image and has been reaping success from those efforts. Improving on that, however, is a work in progress, and giving full co-operation to INDECOM will help to further build public trust.
But one hand can't clap. Therefore Mr Williams needs to acknowledge that he erred in appearing at that press conference and assure the constabulary that the outcome of the commission's probes into these police killings will not be influenced by the views already expressed.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/edito...#ixzz1oc06rZE5
By now, Mr Williams, we suspect, would have recognised the grave error of his action as it has the potential to stain public perception of his office.
In fact, we now see that the integrity of the commission is being questioned by the Police Federation which, on Wednesday, called for Mr Williams to resign.
The Federation, in making its call, reminded the public that INDECOM is an independent body set up to investigate complaints of abuses by members of the security forces, especially in cases of shooting.
While that is true, we cannot sanction the call by the Police Federation, as from our recollection, Mr Williams, at no time during the press conference, expressed any view that could be considered as biased against the police.
In fact, Mr Williams, we believe, did well to remain neutral in his comments, even as he expressed concern about the number of killings by agents of the state and complained that his investigators were not receiving the full co-operation of the police in some of the cases that come before the commission.
Unfortunate as that is, we must admit that we had expected resistance to INDECOM from within the ranks of the police force, as that is the experience of other such commissions in other jurisdictions.
However, the commission's function is necessary, as there exists a genuine need for accountability on the part of the police and transparency in the investigation of all allegations of abuse.
But even as we acknowledge and support INDECOM's important role, we cannot ignore the fact that policing in Jamaica is one of the most dangerous and difficult jobs.
No one can deny that our police frequently come face to face with hardened, brazen criminals who don't think twice about engaging members of the security forces, sometimes in situations where these criminals are outnumbered.
The fact that these scum have resurfaced after their fearful retreat following the events of May 2010 when the State was forced to exert its authority, speaks to their total disregard for law and order.
It also demonstrates that they have no respect for other people's right to life and that they are hell-bent on destroying this country's opportunity to attract investment that will create jobs and thus grow the economy.
In that kind of environment, it is therefore necessary that the police benefit from public trust, as communication between both parties is vital in our efforts to reduce crime.
That trust, as we said before, will grow when people are convinced about the integrity of investigations into allegations of police abuse and when people no longer regard the police as their enemy.
To be fair to the constabulary, it has made significant investments in reshaping its image and has been reaping success from those efforts. Improving on that, however, is a work in progress, and giving full co-operation to INDECOM will help to further build public trust.
But one hand can't clap. Therefore Mr Williams needs to acknowledge that he erred in appearing at that press conference and assure the constabulary that the outcome of the commission's probes into these police killings will not be influenced by the views already expressed.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/edito...#ixzz1oc06rZE5
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