KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) today refuted assertions made by Opposition leader Dr Peter Phillips, that the commission’s investigators disarm police officers “in the streets”.

INDECOM said Phillips’ comment, which was uttered in Parliament yesterday, was false as in the eight years that the commission has been in operation, no representative has ever disarmed a police officer at a scene or at any other time.

“It is always done by another police officer. Further, the police officers are disarmed at a police station,” said INDECOM in a release.

The commission also noted that the issue was raised by the Jamaica Police Federation following a fatal shooting incident on October 12, 2013 at Jacques Road in Kingston, where a letter was sent to the federation chairman enclosed with signed statements from the police officers involved, who indicated that they disarmed their colleagues at the Elletson Road Police Station.

INDECOM further explained that guidelines on the disarming, labelling and storage of firearms and weapons were agreed upon by the commission and the Police High Command and was subsequently communicated to members via the police’s force orders in 2014.

“The truth is, seizure and inspection of a police officer’s firearm has always been a part of the commission’s investigative process; the seizure and examination is provided for in the statute.

All weapons involved in shooting incidents, whether fatal or non-fatal, are then boxed and sealed at the police stations during this process,” said INDECOM.

The release added that the weapons are then taken to the forensic lab by the police where the seals are broken in the presence of an INDECOM investigator before analysis begins.

“To conclude, the commission wishes to reiterate that the assertion that police officers are being disarmed at shooting incident scenes by investigators is false,” said INDECOM.