Durrant Pate/ Contributor

The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) is reporting that 47 police officers have been charged with criminal offences during the period January 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025. 

Of that number, 13 have been charged with murder, with the greater majority of cases relating to assault allegations. In its latest report to parliament, which was tabled on Tuesday, INDECOM raised concerns about the absence of criminal prosecutions of some police officers. 

In his report to parliament, INDECOM Commissioner Hugh Faulkner commented, “The absence of criminal prosecutions, with its necessarily high evidential threshold, does not equate to a status whereby all other police/civilian interactions are without culpability or wrongdoing. The absence of criminal or disciplinary proceedings, because of the insufficiency of substantive evidence, are not the measure by which the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) can be confident that operational encounters are satisfactorily carried out. This report highlights the issues which give cause for concern, and recommendations and observations are intended for the issues as identified.”

In what could be considered a clear swipe at the Police High Command, Faulkner remarked, “That any officer’s actions have been determined so egregious, and for which there is a sufficiency of evidence for a criminal prosecution, is a matter for which the JCF High Command must take remedial note.” The 18-page report sets out the information and facts regarding the continued increase in deaths involving the security forces and also the increased number of deaths occurring during Planned Police Operations (PPOs).

In 2019, fatal shooting incidents arising from PPOs amounted to only ten people and just 12% of all fatalities. However, this number has ballooned in 2025, whereas at July 31, 2025, deaths during planned operations have reached 97, representing 51% of all fatal incidents. The INDECOM boss argued that while the need to deploy body-worn cameras (BWCs) at that time would not have been an operational or community reassurance priority saying the present circumstances indicate otherwise.

“The Commission is unapologetic in its repeated recommendation to both Parliament and the JCF that BWCs must be prioritised to be deployed during planned operations,“ he said in conclusion.