PRIME Minister Andrew Holness yesterday said the use of force to maintain law and order has not achieved anything beneficial.

“The society that we are trying to create cannot rely on the use of force to get the preservation of law and order. For too long, since our independence, since our colonial past, we have relied on force in order to get law and order,” Holness said.“The truth is that we have neither gotten the rule of law or order. In a sense, the use of force does not really achieve anything meaningfully beneficial. So I am totally keen on the importance of entering Jamaica in a new paradigm of engendering rule of law and public order,” he added.Holness was addressing the opening of the Caribbean Use of Force in Law Enforcement Conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston.A report from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) showed that, in 2014, the police were shot at 470 times, 425 times in 2015, and 502 in 2016.During those incidents, two policemen were murdered and eight injured in 2014, eight were murdered and 19 injured in 2015, while six were killed and 22 injured in 2016.At the same time, in 2014 some 112 civilians were killed by the police, 92 in 2005, and 102 the following year.Prime Minister Holness, while noting that the conference is timely in strengthening the rule of law, said his attendance was an opportunity for the Government to restate its commitment to the advancement of human rights.According to Holness, confrontation creates, breathes, supports, and gives the impression that there is no justice.Admitting that there are challenges, he said the society cannot flourish and citizens will not recognise their potential in the absence of security, development and human rights.“It is our collectively responsibility as citizens, as elected representatives and leaders, law enforcement and agencies of the State to ensure that neither our actions nor our policies serve to undermine or infringe the rights of citizens,” said the prime minister, adding that policies must be rooted in the requirement to find a balance between public safety and officer safety.The use of force, he added, must underscore the importance of the preservation of innocent life and the professional obligation to train members of the JCF at the highest standard so they are able to ensure personal and public safety.The prime minister stressed that the Government cannot allow the tension between the police and residents to continue, adding that the old style of policing has to be improve to preserve life.Assistant Commissioner of Police Richard Stewart, who spoke on the behalf of Commissioner of Police George Quallo, said the constabulary is happy to contribute to the draft of the use of force policy. The constabulary, he added, was looking forward to the new policy and pledged full cooperation.Law enforcement officers from 10 English-speaking Caribbean countries are participating in the three-day conference.— Racquel Porter