Police commish urges cops to exercise self-discipline in use of force

Amid historic levels of fatal shootings by the security forces Jamaica’s police chief has exhorted cops to exercise self-discipline, describing it as “more important” than the checks and balances that come with oversight.

At the same time, Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake has again urged Jamaicans to join the appeal to “violent and hardened criminals” that they should not confront cops with deadly force.

Describing self-discipline as the ability to control one’s thoughts, emotions and actions, he said overtime it helps to build good habits and help to shape characters. “It is like a mental muscle, the more you practice it, the stronger it gets,” Blake wrote in the latest edition of the weekly police Force Orders.

“Fatal shootings do not benefit anyone. It is never a desired end state. Likewise, in addition to our obligations under the Use of Force Policy, I expect every single member to exercise discipline of self,” he added.

The Force Orders, which are circulated to all members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), serve as the governing rules for the guidance of the JCF, covering everything from administrative procedures to the use of force.

The latest appeal by Blake marked the third straight week the leadership of the JCF has used the Force Orders to underscore the importance of professionalism and discipline within its ranks.

In last week’s edition, Blake warned that the actions of criminals who do not realise that we are living in a different time, when getting away with their evil deeds is no longer a likelihood, are not the challenges “that can fail us”.

Instead, he cautioned that the greatest risk to the successes of the JCF were cops not being consistent in the quality of service they deliver and “those among us who themselves do not realise that we are living in a different time when getting away with their unprofessional conduct is no longer a likelihood”.

“It is important that when we assess the risks to our success, we must derive appropriate mitigating strategies to address vulnerabilities to these risks,” the police commissioner said.

“It means therefore, in this case, we must revisit our disciplinary machinery to assess its effectiveness in ensuring that it presents a deterrence to anything less than professional service delivery.”

Thirty-seven people were fatally shot by members of the security forces last month, the highest number for a calendar month in 13 years, according to data from the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), which has oversight responsibility for police, soldiers and correctional officers.

The last time fatal shootings by the security forces over a one-month period was this high was the 40 recorded in October 2013 and the 35 recorded in June 2013, the INDECOM data revealed.

Year-to-date a total of 113 people were shot and killed by the security forces, seven more than the comparative period last year, the data shows.

“Unfortunately, we continue to see a number of violent confrontations where some have resulted in lives being lost,” the police commissioner said, insisting that the main objective of the police in these incidents is de-escalation.

Dr Blake, in praising cops for Jamaica’s declining murder rate, disclosed that over ten per cent of the more than 8,000 people arrested since January 1 this year were for major crimes including murder and shootings.

Murders and shootings have plunged by 23 and 32 per cent respectively this year when compared with the corresponding period last year, according to the latest statistics published by the JCF.

A total of 174 people were killed and 168 shootings were recorded between January 1 and April 25 this year, the statistics revealed.

Blake disclosed, too, that so far this year the police have issued over 250,000 traffic tickets and conducted over 9,000 national coordinated roadblocks.

In reinforcing the need for self-discipline, he noted that the lawful authority given to cops comes with a “great degree” of responsibility and accountability and said such power requires strong oversight and clear legislative and policy guidelines to keep them in check.

“These are there to ensure that we do not abuse the power with which we are entrusted. But what is even more important than these checks and balances that accompany oversight is our own self-discipline,” Blake said.

livern.barrett@gleanerjm.com