THE leadership of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has reiterated its position that it regards every encounter that results in a fatality as unfortunate and promised 1,000 body-worn cameras should be in the island shortly.

At the same time, the JCF high command described the September 15 fatal shooting of Jamar Farquharson at Cherry Tree Lane in Clarendon as most unfortunate.

“However, the facts of what took place on that day are to be conclusively determined by an independent investigation,” the JCF said in a news release on Thursday and extended its sincere condolence to Farquharson’s family and friends.

The JCF issued the release hours after the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom) reported the fatal shooting of four men by the police in three incidents on Wednesday and Thursday.

This moved the number of people killed by members of the security forces since the start of this year to 232 — a more than 70 per cent increase over the same period last year.

According to Indecom, there have been 20 fatal shootings by members of the security forces so far this month.

“This represents the 10th-consecutive month where 20 or more persons have been shot and killed by [members of] the security forces. As at September 24, 2024, 131 persons had been fatally shot by the security forces. This corresponds to a 76 per cent surge in the total number of persons who have been shot and killed by State agents,” Indecom said in a media release on Thursday.

Indecom reported that the latest incidents were a double fatal shooting by the police in St Catherine on Wednesday; another fatal shooting in Old Harbour, St Catherine, on Thursday; and one in Hungry Town, Manning’s Hill, St Andrew, also on Thursday.

The men killed in the Wednesday incident have been identified as Malachi McLean and 24-year-old Nickoy Nelson. Up to press time the names of the men killed by the police on Thursday had not been released.

“At least two of the three incidents have been confirmed as arising from a planned police operation. Year to date, 118 persons have been killed in a planned operation. Additionally, no body-worn camera was reported as being worn by any of the concerned officers in any of the three incidents. One firearm was reportedly recovered by the police in each of the incidents,” said Indecom.

The investigative body said all incident scenes will be examined and the evidential material recovered, processed, and packaged. The hands of the deceased will be swabbed for gunshot residue, and their bodies photographed and sealed, pending post-mortem examination.

CAMPBELL… there have been over 100 planned operations this year that have resulted in fatalities, of which none have had any body-worn cameras deployed

“The concerned officers were served with Section 21 notices, pursuant to the Independent Commission of Investigations Act, 2010, to submit statements and attend interviews.

“Indecom continues to encourage citizen participation in the investigative process by providing any known information. Witnesses are asked to provide photos, videos, or information available in relation to these and other fatal shooting incidents. The information should be shared via Indecom’s
WhatsApp number (876) 553-0000, or persons may visit or contact the office of the commission at 876-968-1932 or 876-968-8875,” the entity added.

The issue of fatal police shootings has been back on the front burner since Farquharson was fatally shot by the police inside his house in Cherry Tree Lane.

The police have claimed that Farquharson was shot when he pulled a firearm while his house was being searched by cops during a planned operation.

But video footage, which has gone viral, has led to many questioning the police’s version of the event.

The footage shows Farquharson opening his door with his hands in the air while two cops enter the house. What happened later is the source of much concern as there is no footage of the actual shooting.

Indecom has also reported that Farquharson’s name was not on the search warrant that led the cops to his house.

“The warrant was [issued] under the Firearms Act and was meant for the address they went to, but it did not have the name of the man who was fatally shot,” Indecom Deputy Commissioner Hamish Campbell told the
Jamaica Observer earlier this week as he renewed the call for cops to be equipped with body-worn cameras.

“There have been over 100 planned operations this year that have resulted in fatalities, of which none have had any body-worn cameras deployed by the Jamaica Constabulary Force. That is really the concern — more broadly than Mr Farquharson’s death, which is equally important — that these operations are occurring without the use of body-worn cameras,” Campbell said as he used a radio interview to call on the JCF to make a public comment on the incident.

But, in its release on Thursday, the JCF argued that Campbell’s position was, at best, disingenuous, given the repeated public and private concerns raised by Indecom in the past whenever the JCF issued statements or offered commentary on such matters.

“Indeed, Indecom has previously published guidance which states: ‘Indecom is always careful and sensitive when issuing commentary on any Indecom investigation, as premature dissemination of information can have an adverse impact’,” argued the JCF.

On the issue of body-worn cameras, the JCF said there should be no question in anyone’s mind that it is in support of their use.

“The Government of Jamaica has invested billions of tax dollars to create the ecosystem necessary to make their deployment widespread, and the JCF has embraced their role in accountability and modern policing.

”The high command can now report that the recent process of procuring 1,000 new body-worn cameras is now complete and the contracts are with the provider ahead of delivery in the coming weeks. This is the largest single procurement of body-worn cameras in the JCF’s history,” added the JCF.

It pointed out that the force is incapable of manipulating the procurement process or spending beyond the resources allocated to it in the annual national budget.

”We have no independent authority to purchase outside of that framework. Furthermore, we maintain that operational decisions regarding the deployment and utilisation of body-worn cameras remain squarely within the purview of the JCF as the law enforcement body, and not Indecom,” declared the JCF.

An undated photo of 22-year-old Jamar Farquharson who was shot dead by police at Cherry Tree Lane in Clarendon on September 15.