LACOVIA, St Elizabeth — Against the backdrop of an increase in fatal shootings by the police, Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang says most of the criminals being targeted by the security forces are being put before a judge.

“I have been told by the commissioner [of police] that the majority of targets are, in fact, before the courts, but there are those who choose to take on the police and we have had that,” Dr Chang told his audience at the official opening ceremony for the new $200-million Lacovia Police Station on Wednesday.

He doubled down on his recent statement that the Jamaica Constabulary Force is not a hit squad.

“If they [criminals] want to come in, we will take them to the courts. We have a good justice system and the police prepare the case well. They go to court and, in fact, the police prefer that, so do we as ministers and the Government,” said Chang.

“We are not out there training anybody to kill anybody for the sake of extrajudicial whatever it is. We want to carry them to court. We want them to stop shooting. That is the first thing, and if they stop shooting they go about their business. If they carry an illegal gun we find them,” he added.

In recent weeks there has been widespread debate, including a statement by Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake, who frontally told rights group Jamaicans for Justice that he would not apologise for the police carrying out their duty of protecting Jamaicans from marauding thugs.

Dr Chang said his view on the matter of fatal shootings has not changed.

“If you find a criminal with a gun there’s going to be a shoot-out. I have said it over and over, so it is not news again. I don’t expect my police to get hurt. They are bright, responsible Jamaicans committed to making this country a better place,” he said.

“So if one has to go down the criminal will go down, as simple as that. It is common sense that if the police have better intelligence, are better equipped, and are on the road more, they are going to have more engagements,” he added.

Statistics show that there have been over 50 fatal shootings so far this year by the security forces, more than double for the comparative period last year.

Dr Chang said with the increased deployment of police personnel to tackle criminals, once there is a confrontation, there will be more shootings.

“Fifty police shootings is not sending police out there chasing down any one man to shoot down somebody.It means the police are in a position to engage criminals, and if you have more engagement you are going to have more shootings… If they surrender they will take them to court,” he said, while adding that murders continue to trend downwards.

“This month, at the rate we are going, you will have the lowest number of murders in Jamaica for the last 25 years and more,” said Chang.

Six hours before Dr Chang’s address in Lacovia, a man was fatally shot by the police during an alleged confrontation in Mollison district, Christiana, on Wednesday.

Police named the man as Ronald Evans, 55, otherwise called Richard.

Reports suggest sometime after 5:00 am there was a targeted operation at a house at which Evans resided in the area. Head of the Manchester police, Deputy Superintendent Carey Duncan said personnel were executing a warrant when they were confronted by Evans, who allegedly pointed a firearm in the direction of the police.

Duncan said a Glock 40 semi-automatic pistol was seized.

However, residents described Evans as a well-known member of the community since he moved from Spanish Town to the area over a decade ago.

“This morning I heard that the police gunned down Richard. I don’t know him as no bad man. He came in the community for 13 years with one baby and he got two more, trying to be a good gentleman. We don’t know what happened in the past,” one resident said.

“I don’t know what happened this morning [Wednesday] and we need to know and to hear what is going on, because our community is a good community; no violence. We all in the community are grieving to see what happened to Richard. He came into the community as a mechanic who did body work,” added the resident.

Police on Wednesday also seized three firearms during a pre-dawn operation in Warminster, St Elizabeth, namely a 9mm pistol, an Uzi submachine gun, and a shotgun. Six people, including a woman, were arrested in relation to the firearm seizures.

Dr Chang said illegal firearms are still prevalent in the country.

“We’re well over 1,000 shootings in Jamaica annually. That means you have people going out with guns shooting, and when you have 1,000 shootings, in some of the shootings 12 guns [are used]; anywhere from one to sometimes more,” said Chang, who also serves as Member of Parliament for St James North Western.

“I represent a tough urban constituency and I get the reports. ‘Doctor, some man walk pass here last night, enuh. Twelve of them have rifles on their shoulders, and everybody have a sidearm’, so shootings all over the country,” he said.

CHANG… the majority of targets are in fact before the courts.