INDECOM: No link made between police fatal shootings and falling murder rate

 

The Independent Commission of Investigation (INDECOM) says it has not established a correlation between police fatal shootings to the country's falling murder rate.

 

That position has challenged assumptions that more lethal force has resulted in greater public safety.

 

Jamaica has recorded a 40 per cent decline in murders, a trend which, if it holds, will see the country record fewer than 700 murders in 2025.

 

According to the National Security Ministry, that translates to a rate of about 25 per 100,000, the lowest in more than three decades. 

 

The data provided by INDECOM over a 21-year period from 2001 to 2022 shows no evidence linking a reduction in murders to a hike in police fatal shootings, however questions still linger about the true effect of one variable on the other. 

 

INDECOM Commissioner Hugh Faulkner says it is risky to link to the two at this time. 

 

"That is a correlation that some sections of the public do not hesitate to make. But again, as an investigative body, mandated by the Act to be independent, impartial and objective, the science is not so developed that you can readily link them and it would be risky so to do. So we look at each individual case on its own merit and its own facts," he said.  

 

More than 230 police fatal shootings have been documented since the start of the year.

 

Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner Hamish Campbell has maintained that a senior officer from the line command should be present during all planned operations as a measure to reduce police killings. 

 

In 2024, of the 64 planned operations where a fatality occurred, 24 were led by an officer below Inspector rank. 

 

"Hopefully any senior officer in superior position of command and leadership would be able to ensure that all the correct protocols and measures are taken for an operation. The idea of just corporals or constables conducting planned operations on a whim, without a plan, without documents, without a search warrant, that would be prevented for a start. So an inspector level would be engaged and would be asking those questions, do we have a search warrant? Have we written out the tactical options? What's the risk assessment? What's the intelligence or information? Can he be seen? That is what we're seeking from senior supervisory contact," Mr. Campbell asserted.

 

The recommendation comes despite the planned operation which led to the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Cherry Tree Lane resident Jamar Farquharson in September, being led by a Superintendent. 

 

In an update on that investigation, the INDECOM Assistant Commissioner noted that the September 15 police fatal shooting was conducted with a search warrant under the Firearms Act of 2022.

 

"There were no witnesses to the actual shooting of Farquharson other than the police officers who report that they shot him. Twenty-three officers were reportedly on the operation. At this stage, two officers have been identified and acknowledged that they fired their weapons - one officer fired a Glock and the other officer fired an M16 rifle. Two shots each. The postmortem was conducted on Monday the 29th of September. We don't have the postmortem report yet, but an initial observation from the pathologist was that Farquharson was shot four times," he outlined.

 

Twenty-four officers have provided witness statements, Mr. Campbell said, adding that six officers have been interviwed and a further five officers are still to be interviewed. 

 

CCTV footage is being analysed as the investigation continues. 

 

All officers captured on the CCTV footage have been identified and statements collected from each. 

 

The INDECOM bosses were speaking Thursday at a press conference. 

 

INDECOM projects that between 270 and 300 people will fall victims to police fatal shootings by the end of the year.