Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake has scoffed at claims that members of the constabulary are trigger-happy, resulting in 13 fatal shootings by cops since the start of this year.

According to Blake, people who are urging the police to show restraint should direct their attention at the gunmen who confront cops, as the men and women under his command will not back down from criminals.

“We will pursue criminals, no matter where they are. It doesn’t matter what firepower they have or how tough they think they are; we are coming. This call for the police to reduce fatal shootings is wrongly directed. It should be directed at criminals who raise their guns [at the police], because you will not get me to tell my police not to pursue criminals. We are going [to],” Blake said Thursday night on the police force’s JCF Now programme aired on Radio Jamaica.

He argued that millions of dollars were invested last year to train police and the results must be reflected when they are confronted by criminals.

“I don’t spend millions of dollars — millions each month — training my OSD (Operational Support Division) and my fighting force. I don’t train them and invest so much money just for criminals to take them out,” said Blake.

Data from the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom) show that up to January 17 the number of people fatally shot by security forces in Jamaica stood at 13.

According to Indecom, half of those fatal shootings occurred in planned operations.

“In 2024, planned policing operations, where a fatality occurred, accounted for 49 per cent of all fatalities by the security forces. Half of those shot and killed in January 2025 arose from planned police operations. In 2023, fatalities from planned operations accounted for only 15 per cent of the total 155,” Assistant Commissioner of Indecom Hamish Campbell told the Jamaica Observer in an e-mail response to questions.

“The number of people shot and killed in 2024 by the security forces was 189. This represents a 22 per cent increase over the 2023 figure, which was 155 fatalities. Five of those fatalities were directly caused by the Jamaica Defence Force,” Campbell shared.

He said that in 2024 there was a stark increase in fatal shootings, particularly in the last seven months when 134 people were shot dead.

Campbell said, to reduce fatalities, the security forces need to exercise restraint, proportionality, and the correct tactics when engaged in operations.

“Every police force is required to review their operational practices, learn what best practices are, and make necessary improvements,” he said.

Addressing the ongoing debate about the use of body-worn cameras (BWCs), Campbell said: “There have been no instances of BWCs being actively deployed during any shooting incidents.”

He said, a handful of fatal and non-fatal shootings occurred in 2024 when police were equipped with body-worn cameras, however, in each case, the cops did not turn the cameras on.

“The lack of compliance regarding shooting incidents is a matter for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) high command to address. The JCF instructions are clear and concise; failure to activate the camera can either be a deliberate action to avoid accountability, negligence, lack of training, or genuine forgetfulness. In all the instances cited, officers claimed they forgot to activate the cameras,” Campbell related.

He stressed that the use of BWCs is necessary, not just for routine police operations and patrols, but for all specialised units and teams engaged in planned operations.

“Body-worn cameras provide transparency and accountability, address public concerns about false accounts and planted weapons, and provide primary evidence of wrongdoing and criminal activity. They are neutral and would benefit courts and lawyers,” he said.

“They have proven their worth across all international police forces. The recent view that body-worn cameras are not for operational teams is incorrect and based on a false premise, failing to secure accountability when it is needed the most,” Campbell said in an obvious response to National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang who last November said that body-worn cameras are of “very little value” during confrontations between lawmen and criminals.

Last year, Commissioner Blake acknowledged BWCs as an invaluable tool in protecting police from false allegations.

“We need to do all we can to support the investigation of police-involved fatal shootings,” Blake said in one of his Commissioner’s Corner addresses last year. He noted that accountability in these investigations is not only essential for public trust, but also serves to protect the reputation of the JCF and the integrity of its members.

At that time, Blake said: “The JCF is not naïve to the fact that with any new technology comes issues of adoption and use… Sometimes it is simply an aversion to the new technology… Whatever it is that prevents the optimised use, we need to hastily address it.”

He reminded JCF members that there is a policy that governs the use of BWCs, stressing that failing to adhere to this policy can have serious repercussions.

Last September Blake announced that $7 billion would be spent on technology upgrades to pave the way for the effective use of body-worn cameras by JCF members.