KINGSTON, Jamaica—Opposition Spokesman on National Security Fitz Jackson is questioning comments by Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang that the police was duty-bound in enforcing a court order that led to the demolition of homes in Coopers Pen, Trelawny.

Chang, who was speaking on Cliff Hughes Online on Wednesday, said the owners of the property had a court order, therefore the police were subjected to that order.

“The owners have a court order and everybody is subject to that court order, everybody including them and the owner has the right to seek the support of the police to take over the land. If they don’t support them it’s also contempt of court and as I said I am not going to go to court. We have to obey the court orders, the government, all of Jamaica is subject to the civil court,” Chang said.

But Jackson in a press release on Thursday, said while court orders must be respected and obeyed, the existence of such an order does not absolve the State of its responsibility to protect human life and treat affected citizens with dignity.

“The issue is not whether the court order should have been obeyed. It should. The issue is whether obeying a court order required the Government and the police to ignore the human consequences of its enforcement,”Jackson said.

He said the circumstances surrounding the operation demanded greater consideration for the people who would be immediately affected, particularly children, women and elderly persons.

“Is it unreasonable to expect that, where an operation is going to displace families from their homes, the authorities would ensure that adequate notice is given and reasonable steps are taken to protect vulnerable people? That is not asking the police to disobey the law. It is asking them to enforce the law with humanity and sound judgement,” he said.

Jackson said the minister’s comments risk reinforcing an unfortunate perception of the police as an instrument of state force and brutality rather than a service charged with protecting people and maintaining public safety.

“Lawful enforcement and compassion are not mutually exclusive. We can uphold the authority of the courts while ensuring that people are not subjected to unnecessary suffering in the process. That should be the standard expected of a professional police service,” he said.

He further criticised what he described as the Government’s lack of urgency in addressing the consequences of the demolition.

“The families of Coopers Pen are now dealing with the reality of displacement. They need more than an explanation that a court order existed. They need the Government to acknowledge the human impact of what has happened and to take responsibility for helping those affected with some alacrity,” Jackson said.

Some 20 families in Coopers Pen were left homeless after a demolition team reportedly tore down about 20 housing units in an early-morning operation last week Tuesday.

READ: WATCH: 20 families homeless after early morning demolition in Trelawny