COMPLAINTS against cops formed the lion’s share of grouses about members of the security forces and the correctional services reported to Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) last year.

According to Planning Institute of Jamaica’s (PIOJ) 2023 Economic and Social Survey of Jamaica (ESSJ) released last week, of the 1,087 complaints 86 per cent were against members of Jamaica Constabulary (JCF), nine per cent were against members of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), three per cent against members of Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), and one per cent against combined JCF and JDF teams.

According to the ESSJ, the overall complaints represented a 12.3 per cent increase when compared to 2022.

The major categories of complaints, it said, were: assault (32.5 per cent); discharge of firearm (14.8 per cent); fatal shooting (10.3 per cent); shooting injury (6.3 per cent); and threats (6.1 per cent).

Of the total complainants, the majority (31.4 per cent) were from residents of Kingston and St Andrew, and 18.1 per cent from St Catherine.

The majority of the victims of alleged abuse by members of the security forces and members of the DCS were male.

According to INDECOM, since the start of this year there have been 74 fatal shootings involving cops, with 19 fatal shootings in June alone.

In the meantime, as it relates to allegations of human rights breaches, a total 154 complaints were received and investigated by the Office of the Public Defender which, according to ESSJ, was a decline of 33 per cent when compared to 2022.

The ESSJ said the largest proportion, 29.2 per cent, was against members of the security forces, with 11.7 per cent being against Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and 7.1 per cent against the National Water Commission (NWC).

It said males accounted for 52.6 per cent of complainants, compared to 43.5 per cent females. A total of 46 cases were closed.

In the meantime, the National Children’s Registry (NCR) received 14,130 reports of child abuse and other children in need of care and protection in 2023.

This, according to the ESSJ, represented a decrease of 938 or 6.2 per cent compared with the corresponding period in 2022.

Of the reports received, a total of 14,046 reports were assessed, and the majority (12,399) referred to the Investigation Services Unit (ISU) after being processed.

The ESSJ said the remaining reports were referred to other partners such as Office of the Children’s Advocate; Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse; Criminal Investigation Branch; and the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch.