KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS)–Tangible changes are being made within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) that will reduce culpable deaths and injuries sustained by persons in the care and protection of the police.

Minister of National Security, Peter Bunting, made the declaration in response to questions posed by journalists surrounding the death of St James resident Mario Deane, during Wednesday’s (August 13) official opening of the Firearm Licensing Authority’s (FLA) new offices at  91A Old Hope Road, St Andrew.

He said that the Ministry is also working to improve the professionalism of the police as well as put measures in place to reduce arrests for minor offences.

“We have been working on the professionalism of the police…and I think we have seen improvements, but obviously, we have some way to go. We have to do some serious charge screening so as not to overburden the system with minor offences…and we are really revamping the system to be able to deal with them as ticketable offences,” he said.

Thirty-one-year-old Mario Deane died at hospital on Wednesday, August 6 after receiving injuries while in police custody.

Since the incident, six police officers, who were on duty at the time of Deane’s injury on Sunday (August 3), have been interdicted and suspended with immediate effect, as investigations continue to determine possible culpability.

Those interdicted are two Police Corporals and one Police Constable, while three District Constables were suspended, all attached to the Barnett Street Police Station in St James. Two remandees have also been charged in relation to Deane’s  death.

Responding to concerns about the time that has passed since the death of Deane and the announcement of the interdictions and suspensions, Minister Bunting  said there is a clear separation of policy from operations and the Commissioner of Police has “sole operational superintendence of the force, so I cannot tell him to suspend officers”.

“If they have a process that they feel they need to go through with their investigations before they have sufficient information to act, I have to respect that separation that is made in the Jamaica Constabulary Force Act,” he said.

The Minister, in the meantime, is declaring that gone are the days, when members of the police force could operate with impunity. 

“When you look at the numbers of police personnel that have been charged by INDECOM (Independent Commission of Investigation) criminally, when you look at the hundreds of police personnel that have either been charged criminally or administrative sanctions have been brought against them by the Anti-corruption Banch of the police, certainly I don’t think that that impunity exists today,” he stated.

He reminded those “who may be slow to realise that the paradigm is changing” that they will have to face the consequences of whatever the law allows.

He informed that measures to advance this change in culture include: supporting the work of INDECOM; strengthening the work of the Anti-Corruption branch, which was recently merged with the Major Organised and Anti-Corruption Task Force (MOCA); allowing more capable and senior police officers to carry out investigations, among other things.