Jamaicans for Justice logo.(Photo contributed)
February 20, 2025
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Advocacy group Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) says progress made in recent decades in holding law enforcement accountable is at serious risk as it expresses alarm about the sharp increase in fatal shootings by security forces this year.
“The year-to-date figure of 50 fatal shootings more than double the comparable period in 2024 which stood at 19 fatalities. This represents an unacceptable and troubling trend that threatens Jamaica’s democratic principles and human rights advancements,” the group said Thursday.
JFJ says if the trend persists, Jamaica risks “regressing to the dark days before the establishment of the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), when accountability for security force actions was virtually non-existent.”
“With at least one citizen killed almost daily by members of the security forces – Jamaica could see over 250 citizens killed by members of the security forces by the end of the year – a number that could rival the dark 2000s and certainly the 258 fatalities recorded in 2013.”
The JFJ says it is not making assertions that the incidents are extrajudicial killings, but bemoan the common pattern of no body-worn cameras being reported as issued or worn in fatal encounters.
“We demand a concrete timeline from the JCF leadership on when data storage infrastructure will attain capacity to ensure that body-worn cameras are effectively utilised in all police operations,” JFJ said, adding, “law enforcement must operate with the highest levels of transparency and accountability. We cannot allow this rollback of progress to continue unchecked.”