KINGSTON, Jamaica — Few Jamaicans are comfortable with the “very high level of police fatal shootings, sometimes in circumstances where there are no living witnesses other than the officers involved”, says Opposition Leader Mark Golding.

Golding addressed the matter on Tuesday during his contribution to the 2026/27 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives.

At the same time, he said all well-thinking Jamaicans welcome and celebrate the significant fall in murders in the country over the past two years, after what he described as “eight years of questionable policies, including using states of emergency as a routine policing tool that has been ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court”.

“I once again want to extend congratulations to the commissioner of police and those brave and selfless police officers for this significant achievement,” said Golding, adding that “the policy of focused deterrence has brought results”.

However, he warned that few people would be comfortable with the high number of police killings.

Fewer than 700 murders were recorded in Jamaica in 2025, the first time in 30 years. A record 311 people were also shot and killed by the police during reported confrontations in 2025.

Human rights group Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) has drawn the ire of both National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang and Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake for calling attention to the sharp increase in fatal police shootings and the lack of use of body-worn cameras.

In a radio interview last month, Chang charged that JFJ was “living off blood money”, without providing evidence. JFJ has deemed the allegation as “unfortunate, untrue and inflammatory” and has sought legal advice on the matter.

During the meeting of Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee on March 5, Chang said it was “abominable” for anyone to suggest that members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) are engaged in extrajudicial killings.

On Tuesday, Golding cautioned that sustained success in law enforcement requires the support and buy-in of the local population. He said this will be at risk if there is a feeling that accountability and justice are being sacrificed.

“This is why I once again call for the introduction of body-worn cameras, especially on special operations when many of the controversial fatal shootings take place,” he said. He pointed out that body-worn cameras have been successfully used overseas, and are now the norm in several jurisdictions.

“The JCF will benefit from the enhanced confidence this will bring among the population that they are there to serve and protect,” said Golding.

— Lynford Simpson