ST ANDREW, Jamaica — Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Area Five Gary Griffiths says the police are taking blame for the response when eight-year-old Shantae Skyers was reported missing by family members.

Skyers’ body was found in an area of the Sterling castle community called Blue Hole, last Tuesday after she had gone missing on Thursday, April 11.

ACP Griffiths who was speaking at a community meeting in Sterling Castle today, admitted that the outcome could have been different had the police acted differently at the onset.

He said that there are policies in place when a child goes missing, explaining that when Shantae’s grandmother asked to print photos of her to post in the community and elsewhere her request was rejected by one of the police officers at the station.

Meanwhile, Griffiths noted that the post mortem, which was conducted yesterday proved a number of things, and the police will have to rely on scientific evidence to solve the case.

In relation to a man who was killed and burned by residents of the community following the discovery of Shantae’s body, Griffiths said the man might be innocent.

Three people have so far been taken in for questioning in connection with Shantae’s death, the police said.