Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake has emphasised the importance of responsible social media use among members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

He made the call for responsible information management during last week’s Commissioner’s Corner.

“As we venture more into the digital age,” he said. “How we manage the organisation’s information is crucial for maintaining public trust, ensuring effective operations, and safeguarding national security.”

His caution comes at a time when the circulation of sensitive police data on social media has
raised alarms, both within the JCF and among the general public.

The commissioner said the mismanagement of sensitive information can do incalculable damage to the JCF’s image and operational effectiveness.

“Very little does more harm to our image, reputation, and the security of the people we serve than this type of recklessness from a few among us,” he cautioned.

The JCF says it takes seriously its responsibility to protect both its operations and the citizens it serves from the consequences of poor information management.

“We must always avoid the urge to share sensitive police information with unauthorized persons,” he stated unequivocally. “Our information must remain accurate, complete, and trustworthy,” Blake said.

He further pointed out that members of the JCF must be accountable for how we manage the information in our custody.

The commissioner also made it clear that supervisors also bear responsibility when they fail to hold their
subordinates accountable.

“When a supervisor does nothing to hold that person accountable or
even worse seeks to cover for the person,” he warned, adding that “then he has transferred the liability to himself.”

Additionally, he made it clear that there will be no tolerance for recklessness and that the responsibility for protecting sensitive information is a shared one—across all ranks of the force.