KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom) says it has pegged the increase in fatalities during planned operations by the security forces to “the introduction of the Area Fugitive Apprehension Teams (AFATs)”.

The commission, which made the observation in a Special Investigative Report on Planned Police Operations (PPOs) tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, said since 2022/23 the AFAT deployment has increased from less than five per cent and accounting for less than five per cent of PPO fatalities, to one where the AFAT deployment in 2025 (up to July 31) now accounts for half of all PPO deployments and nearly half of all fatalities arising from PPOs.

On the converse, Indecom said “the disbandment in 2019 of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Mobile Reserve command saw, whether as a correlation or causation, the lowest fatality figures in both fatal shootings at 86, and also the lowest fatality figures arising from PPOs with 10 in that year”. It said in 2022 and 2023 only one PPO fatality was caused by an AFAT.

In data showing the deployment of AFATs and involvement in total incidents, Indecom said in 2022 AFAT deployment was five per cent of the total 21 planned police operations in which 31 individuals were killed. However, in 2023 when AFAT deployments were four per cent of the 23 PPOs, 24 individuals were killed. The commission also said that in 2024 AFAT deployment was 23 per cent of the 64 planned police operations which saw 76 people being killed.

In the meantime, between January 1 and July 31 of 2025 when AFAT deployment was 51 per cent of 86 planned police operations, 97 individuals have been killed, the commission said.

It said the figures show “the increasing involvement of Fugitive Apprehension Teams, both in their deployment in planned operations and the number of fatalities that result, as a proportion of the total”.

The AFAT is a specialised police unit that operates across police divisions to locate and arrest violent criminals, particularly those whose crimes extend beyond divisional boundaries.

Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake has explained that the teams were born out of necessity as violent criminals, often highly mobile and networked, cannot be contained within divisional borders.

“These individuals wanted for violent crimes are not confined by geographic divisional boundaries… hence the Area Fugitive Apprehension Teams,” the commissioner has said.

The AFATs work in collaboration with other police units and sometimes the Jamaica Defence Force to conduct strategic operations targeting wanted persons, illegal firearms, and criminal gangs.

In its report to Parliament, Indecom argued that “command leadership is a critical aspect of PPO operations” and said “it is equally pertinent to note that three senior officers within the FAT structure have between them some 64 police-involved fatal shooting incidents prior to their elevation to senior command rank”.

The civilian staffed agency said of these, 18 were identified as suspicious. The agency further noted that “in their current commands, 11 planned operations have been identified as ‘suspicious’, with junior officers acting under their command”.

Indecom also said in the five years since 2021, the number of people killed in security force shooting incidents have increased each year, and particularly in 2024 and 2025.

The commission said in 2019 the number of people killed during a PPO was the lowest, at 10, while in 2021 PPO fatalities was nine per cent total fatalities, when 11 men were killed. It stated, however, that, “since 2022 there has been a marked and disquieting increase in fatal shootings occurring during PPOs”.

Indecom said, “from the low of 11 persons fatally wounded in 2021, to 76 in 2024, it represents a 591 per cent increase in deaths arising from planned police operations in 36 months”. The commission said “this continuing policing tactic is observed in the first seven months of 2025 (January-July), where 97 people have been killed during a PPO, representing 51 per cent of the 190 fatalities in 2025 (at July 31).

The commission also drew attention to weapons recovered during operations, saying of the 108 PPOs in its study, a firearm was reported as allegedly being recovered by the police at the scene in 99 of those incidents. According to the commission, “in only nine of the cases was no gun reported as recovered from the scene”. It said two incidents involved the deceased allegedly attempting to take the law enforcer’s firearm, and seven involved possession of a weapon other than a firearm.

According to Indecom, in 50 of the 108 incidents, the weapon was reported as not being fired — albeit it was reported as being either seen, attempted to be drawn, or pointed at the police. It said in the 58 cases where it was reported that a man fired a gun at cops, mostly within the confines of small rooms, no member of the security forces in this study was fatally wounded in such close-range encounters.

“However, two officers, in separate incidents, were reported as being shot and injured, one of whom was unfortunately injured by an officer’s weapon,” Indecom stated.

“It also remains the case, as identified in 2014 and 2016, that the alleged recovered firearm(s) do not remain in situ (in position). Further, none are observed as correctly secured in exhibit bags and documented. Rather, they are collected by officer(s), placed in either their pockets, vehicles or other coverings, and subsequently produced to Indecom,” the commission said.

Indecom also said it “considers that all planned operations should, by now, be incorporating modern forensic recovery methods to retrieve and protect the firearm, and enable forensic evidence to be preserved, for example, blood, DNA, firearms residue, fingerprints”.