WITH 177 people killed by members of the security forces since the start of this year the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom) has again raised alarm.

The investigative entity has also voiced concern about the persistent failure of the security forces to prioritise the deployment of body-worn cameras (BWCs) in any planned operations.

In a release on Friday, Indecom said it has reiterated its concern following four separate operations resulting in the deaths of four men in St Catherine within a 24-hour period, between Thursday and Friday.

“This year, 177 persons have now been shot and killed by the security forces. For the corresponding period in 2024, 80 persons were shot and killed, representing a 121 per cent increase in fatal shooting incidents.

“In examining the 12-month period [of] July 18, 2024 to July 18, 2025, 288 persons have been shot and killed by the security forces. No body-worn cameras have been used by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) members in any of these incidents,” Indecom said in the release.

The commission argued that despite the availability, through procurement, of BWCs and the infrastructure supporting the technology, the JCF has failed to make them routine in planned operations, which are incidents involving the potential loss of lives — where they are most essential.

“Although reported infrastructure issues have delayed full implementation across the JCF, BWCs could still be deployed to record planned police operations in search of wanted individuals, yielding vital evidentiary value. In the majority of the current incidents, where men have been fatally shot, the police accounts illustrate that the officers are entering premises and are not faced, as asserted, with challenges of a rugged terrain or major tactical impediments which would hinder the use of current and available BWCs,” added Indecom.

The entity said while it recognises the dangers that can be faced by police and the importance of apprehending wanted individuals, accountability and transparency are non-negotiable in modern policing, as well as ensuring that the “right to life” is recognised.

“A recurring theme in the shooting incidents [is] that weapons are alleged to have been pointed at officers, but in the absence of third-party eyewitnesses or video evidence investigators are unable to verify or justify the use of lethal force.

“Body-worn cameras are essential — not only for providing independent verification and evidence-gathering and ensuring public trust, but also for protecting officers against false allegations. And yet its deployment in planned police operations remains improperly prioritised, even with the noticeable increase in such instances,” said Indecom.

Since the start of this year Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake has repeatedly argued that the spike in fatal shootings by the police is a result of criminals who make the decision to challenge members of the JCF, “which is a far more superior force”.

In one response Blake pointed out that Jamaica’s prisons and police lock-ups are fully populated with people who made the smart choice of surrendering peacefully to the police when they were apprehended.

“We have had well over a thousand firearm-related arrests each year. Persons have had their day in court, and in some instances freed of the charges against them. They have all lived to see another day simply because they choose not to direct deadly force against our members. We have had police officers and soldiers killed and seriously injured in some of these confrontations,” Blake argued.

In a warning to criminals in February Blake said, “When the police come for you, do not raise your weapons against us. Lay down your weapons and have your day in court. But should you chose the foolish option of challenging us with lethal force, know this: I do not train my police to lose. We have the superior training and firepower to ensure that we win — every time.”

On the issue of body-worn cameras the commissioner has declared that while he supports this move, it would be nonsensical to introduce them without the necessary infrastructural build-out to support the storage of data. That build-out, he said, is being done.

BLAKE…. we have had police officers and soldiers killed and seriously injured in some of these confrontations