ALMOST 90 per cent of the investigations concluded by the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) in the April to June quarter into allegations against members of the security forces have ended with no charges.

In addition, the vast majority of investigations completed into fatal shootings by members of the police force during the quarter ended with INDECOM ruling that no one should be charged.

In its report for the quarter, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, INDECOM said it completed 205 investigations and found that 178 or 87 per cent of the allegations were unsubstantiated.

In eight of the cases (four per cent) INDECOM recommended that criminal charges should be brought against members of the security forces.

Two members of the security forces were recommended to be charged and face disciplinary action, while in 17 cases (eight per cent) INDECOM recommended internal disciplinary action against the members of the security forces.

During the quarter, six members of the security forces — four from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and two from the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) — were charged based on investigations completed by INDECOM.

These included a police corporal who was charged with murder relating to a 2019 incident and a detective constable who was charged with unlawful wounding related to a July 2001 incident.

One member of the DCS, meanwhile, was charged for unlawful wounding related to a May 2016 incident, while the other was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm based on a January 2017 allegation.

INDECOM also completed probes into 16 fatal shootings by members of the JCF during the quarter, and in 13 of the cases ruled that the police involved should not be charged.

In one case, INDECOM recommended that the matter be referred to the Special Coroner for a decision on whether an inquest should be held.

The other two cases were referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for rulings. In one of the cases, the ODPP ruled that the officer involved should not be charged, while in the second case, the ODPP ruled that a police corporal should be placed before the courts.

The INDECOM decision to clear the majority of police involved in the fatal shootings investigations it completed between April and June is similar to its findings for the first quarter of the year, January to March.

In that quarterly report, INDECOM provided its findings following investigations of 38 fatal shootings by members of the JCF.

In 35 of the cases, the commission reported that it concluded and “respectfully recommends that no criminal charges be laid or disciplinary action be taken relative to the fatal shooting”.

In one case, where a civilian eyewitness refuted the statement of the police, INDECOM recommended that he be charged, while in the other two cases, the commission recommended that “the matter be forwarded to the Special Coroner to determine whether an inquest ought to be held”.

During its quarterly media briefing on Thursday, INDECOM reported that the number of fatal shootings by members of the security forces up to July was almost the same as last year, before a sharp increase in the last two months.

But INDECOM’s Assistant Commissioner Hamish Campbell admitted that criminals have been more brazen in engaging members of the security forces during that period.

“The commissioner [Hugh Faulkner] and I both acknowledge the fatalities which have occurred in the security forces in the last few months,” said Campbell, as he extended condolence to the JCF and the Jamaica Defence Force, both of which have had members fatally shot and shot and injured in recent weeks.

“So we recognise that in the last few months there seems to be an increase in relation to direct confrontations between members of the security forces and gunmen. Having said that, the increase is still high, with 84 persons killed [by members of the security forces] up to the end of September, but we would assess that. In fact, this year will see much the same level of fatalities as was last year,” added Campbell.

Last year Jamaica recorded a 40-year low in the number of fatal shootings by members of the security forces.