KINGSTON, Jamaica — Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson has extended sympathies to the family and friends of Shantae Skyers, the eight-year-old girl whose body was found on Tuesday in the community of Sterling Castle Heights, Red Hills, St Andrew.

“We (the JCF) sincerely regret Shantae’s tragic passing, and mourn with her family and community members. We are steadfastly focused on our investigations into this gruesome act and are determined to bring the perpetrator(s) to justice, as we continue to give support and security to the community,” the Commissioner said in a statement this afternoon.

“We assure all that the police remains committed to the protection of our children and all citizens. At the same time, we again urge parents and guardians to increase their vigilance in the safety of their children,” the statement read.

The Police Commissioner advised that in the unfortunate event that a loved one goes missing people are urged to make a missing person report to the nearest police station immediately and not wait for 24 hours to elapse.

“Instructions have been given for the response mechanism and protocols around missing persons to be reviewed with the view of ensuring that the JCF’s response is in keeping with international best practices for the safe recovery of missing persons,” Anderson further stated.

“The team of police officers who found Shantae’s body shares greatly in this grief and is presently receiving counselling,” the statement added.