GREEN ISLAND, Hanover — Convinced that killing becomes easier with each life taken until it becomes an addiction, Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake says the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has made a strategic decision to focus on individuals who have developed a taste for blood.

“We need to reduce the number of murders. And how do we reduce the number of murders? In that 1,400 murders [the annual average], there are some guys that were called the repeat offenders. The man that kills the first time, the second time is easier [while] the third time [is] much easier. The fourth time, them like it, and the fifth time is an addiction,” he said.

Blake was speaking, Tuesday, on the first day of the Jamaica Police Federation’s 82nd Annual Joint Central Conference at Princess Hotel in Green Island, Hanover.

While noting that Jamaica has seen a 43 per cent reduction in murders year-on-year, he stressed that even for countries whose police forces have far more resources and experience, it is unrealistic to expect a 100 per cent solve rate if there are 1,400 murders each year. Concentrating on individuals in an effort to prevent more killings, he said, is a more efficient way of utilising resources available.

“That brings us to focus — deterrence focus — because our attention is on the nucleus of these individuals. We identify these individuals. If a man killed five people last year, rest assured that’s a man who is likely to kill five again this year. When someone commits five violent offences, there’s at least one investigative opportunity there. That’s where we focus,” Blake said, adding that the JCF pulls out all the stops in apprehending these individuals.

He noted that this was a shift away from the previous approach.

“The focus is not so much on the incidents themselves — it’s on the individuals. The focus is not primarily on geographic space, because what we used to do was put a one-by-two or a one-by-three [patrol unit] in an area and hope that would serve as deterrence, hoping nothing would happen just because they were present. That’s important, yes — but it cannot be the only thing because while we do that, these guys just wait us out. They pass us, hail us, buy breakfast, and then go right back home sometimes,” Blake said wryly.

The police commissioner explained that it is more effective for the police to focus their efforts on the most dangerous gangsters.

“We are here trying to solve everything, we are trying to focus on every little gun bag [people carrying illegal firearms] who walk up and down, not shooting anybody — just gun bags them — and not looking at that nucleus within that group, where even those gun bags fear, as much as all their victims fear them. Focus on these individuals; throw all our resources that we can around these individuals and guess what? It’s a lot less work for police,” he told the JCF’s rank and file members.

The police commissioner noted the toll it would take on resources if a less-focused approach were taken.

“[If] you get up and try solve 1,000 murders, 1,200 murders, you’re stretched,” he said.

“That is what it would have taken for us to spread our wings and spread ourselves that thin. And as long as we do that, that’s the raindrops that the guys them dance between, because they know we don’t have the capacity to do that,” Blake added.

The top cop highlighted that the police have been successfully tracking and monitoring the activities of the most dangerous offenders.

“We have a violence producer workbook, which is a working, living document that guides everything that they do. For you to be elevated and earn yourself a place in that and get the attention of [the strategic operations] team; when you elevate yourself to that level, then the focus will be on you,” he warned.

The police commissioner also turned his attention to the controversial issue of fatal shootings. Sections of civil society have expressed concern that these numbers have increased significantly this year.

According to data from the Independent Commission of Investigations, there have been 23 reported fatal shootings by the security forces so far this month, and 134 year-to-date. This is well above the number for the corresponding period last year.

But in defending the action of the man and women under his command, Blake said, “Many times when we seek to apprehend these persons, [it] is the same brain that them have that tell them it’s a good thing to go and kill people in broad daylight, it’s the same brain that is going to tell them how to respond when we’re there.

“And so the message sometimes is that they don’t receive it, when we plea and beg them, when we tell them that we are a superior force; there’s nowhere they can go and train. As they start fire some shot, people call police and we are there.”