Montague believes JCF, INDECOM are ‘best friends’
KINGSTON, Jamaica — National Security Minister, Robert Montague, says the Memorandum of Understanding to be signed between the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) is at an advanced stage and will be ready for signing in short order.
The minister made the disclosure at the Caribbean Use of Force in Law Enforcement Conference held at the Jamaica Conference Centre last Friday.“I am happy that significant progress continues to be made because I am determined that the marriage between INDECOM and JCF must be formalised. I believe that INDECOM is the best friend of JCF and JCF, the best friend of INDECOM. Both agencies must display to Jamaica that they are mature institutions and can operate for the best interest of the public,” Montague stated.Montague also commended the working partnership between the JCF and INDECOM and expressed his appreciation for the work of the JCF in complying with INDECOM’s Use of Force Policy.“There was a significant reduction of fatal shootings between 2013 and 2014, with a fall of 55 per cent, and a further reduction in 2015 resulted in a 60 per cent downturn when matched against 2013 figures. What we know is that for 2014, 19 persons from the security forces were charged for murder. In 2015, five were charged. In 2016 that reduced to four and since this year only three officers have been charged for murder,” said the minister.He added, that for the July to September period of 2016, INDECOM completed 112 reports, 38 per cent had no charges or disciplinary action.According to the INDECOM quarterly report, for the period October to December 2016, 316 case files were completed. Of these, 66 per cent had no charges or disciplinary action applied and for the first quarter of 2017, 249 cases have been completed and of these 94 per cent, have had no charge or disciplinary action applied.The minister reiterated that these figures debunk the lie that INDECOM is preventing the police from doing their duties and that the police are trigger happy.While establishing that the police may need to use force to mitigate critical incidents, Montague urged citizens to cooperate and assist the police.“Reducing crime is a whole of society approach. Use Crime Stop, download the Stay Alert App and the Jamaica Post. You can send information to the police by writing what you know, placing it in an envelope marked with an X and dropping it at the post office. We need to treat with the root causes of crime. I want us to start today to correct the root so we will not resort to force,” he said.