Police Commissioner Dr. Kevin Blake is insisting that the Jamaica Constabulary Force has the preservation of life as its main focus, despite mounting criticisms over the number of fatal shootings since the start of the year.
About 100 people have been killed, reportedly in confrontation with the security forces, since the start of the year.
The Police Commissioner has underscored what he says is the importance of supervision in ensuring accountability, especially when the call for increased accountability is so loud from what he describes as "a small corner".
The Police Commissioner, in his weekly column "The Commissioners Corner," published in the Jamaica Constabulary Force Orders, claimed that he was not complaining about the calls for increased oversight and accountability.
In that regard, he declared that he was not scared, and fully embraces those calls from various sectors.
He cited a list of oversight bodies, both internally, locally and internationally, many of them providing comprehensive policies and procedures that guide the JCF's daily activities and behavior.
Commissioner Blake contends that the JCF is not lacking in oversight and accountability, but has also issued a call for any additional accountability instrument or system that may complement those already in place.
Responding to his critics, he said simply shouting loudly about the need for greater accountability without basis or context, is not useful, while insisting that his was not a call to silence criticism.
The Police Commissioner conceded in this column that constructive dialogue, transparency, and accountability are vital to democratic policing, but said such dialogue must be grounded in facts, fairness, and a respect for the principles of justice, including the presumption of innocence, adding that advocacy must not cross the line into vilification.
April 29
Dr. Blake's statement comes in the wake of the announcement of a planned protest on April 29 by the civil society group, Jamaicans for Justice.
JFJ says the the protest, dubbed "End Police Violence", aims to spotlight the escalating crisis of police fatal shootings in Jamaica and demand accountability, justice, and systemic reform.
According to the JFJ, the protest will bring together victims, families, human rights advocates, and concerned citizens to amplify their voices and push for change.
Flyer
A social media flyer, advertising an event on the same day as JFJ's event, is also making the rounds,
It remains unclear, whether the poster with the images of Police Commissioner Dr. Kevin Blake and JCF Senior Communications Strategist Dennis Brooks, among others, received Force approval.
The poster bears the inscriptions, "Jamaicans, please to back the blue." "Blue Day; wear blue, we back the blue," and hash tag bluelives matter.
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