THE Police Federation, angered by Tuesday night’s murder of one of its members, yesterday called on the security minister to “declare an emergency” against cold-blooded police killers and to provide new initiatives to stem civilian murders.

The slain cop, Detective Constable Everton Dennis, who was stationed at the Caymanas Police Station, was gunned down on Hillsdown Avenue in Meadowvale, near Gregory Park in St Catherine, while he carried out investigations into a case about 8:15 pm.

At the same time, the federation urged communities to stand up against criminality, saying the slaying of police officers was the final assault against law and order.

“Without the police, the community is left to the mercy of these cold-blooded killers who shoot, kill and maim police officers and citizens and walk around in the same community like ‘heroes’ and ‘fat shottas’,” said federation chairman Sgt David White.

He also had a word for politicians. “The federation is making a call to the politicians in this country; please detach yourself from gangsters who use ‘political’ communities and political leadership to carry out criminal activities and to evade the law.”

Meanwhile, Jamaicans for Action, the newly-formed human rights group chaired by Hyacinth Bennett, yesterday urged Jamaicans to reclaim the country from the hands of criminal, saying Constable Dennis’ killing was evidence of the general lawlessness that exists in the country.

“The alarming spate of the horrendous murders of civilians and police, as well as the general lawlessness in the country are of major concerns,” Bennett said in a statement.

Constable Dennis’ death brings to four the number of cops murdered so far this year. Last month, two policemen – Senior Superintendent Lloyd McDonald and Special Corporal Fearon Burke were shot and killed in the space of six days. And in January, 52 year-old traffic cop Corporal Derval Thompson was shot dead in May Pen while writing a traffic ticket for a motorist.