Holness wears blue in support of police, calls for balance in discussions on police killings

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has called for balance in the conversation surrounding police fatal shootings, as he visibly supported members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) on Tuesday by wearing blue.

The wearing of blue on Tuesday by several persons, including Government members of parliament attending the sitting of the House of Representatives, was aimed at showing solidarity with the police and coincided with a demonstration organised by human rights group Jamaicans for Justice to protest a rise in police killings.

While speaking with Commanding Officer for the St Andrew South Division, Senior Superintendent of Police Damion Manderson, on Tuesday, Holness expressed his support for the police, suggesting that the increase in police-fatal shootings was understandable.

"As you can see, today I am decked out in my blue, because I am in full support of the JCF. I think the conversation in the country needs to be balanced. Obviously, the JCF's increased activities in interdicting criminals and in dealing with the gangs would have caused a significant increase in the loss of lives of those who challenge them. But I need the country to now also understand that the gang warfare is at a level where we must respond and respond decisively," Holness stated.

"I am satisfied that the leadership of the police force is implementing faithfully, and we have seen that police officers that have gone outside the use of force policy, they have been dealt with, they have been disciplined and they have been interdicted. Once that is the case, the entire Jamaica should put their support behind the efforts of the police," Holness continued.

Holness pointed to the recent murder of 14-year-old Terona Thomas in his constituency, and urged Jamaicans to balance discussions regarding police killings with the impact gang activities are having on law-abiding citizens.

"The impact of it is that it is not only people who are related in the gang activity that is impacted. There is a tragic murder of a 14-year-old girl, just going to the shop to get something and is caught up in gang warfare. She has nothing to do with it, she is totally innocent, she's looking forward to the rest of her life, like any other citizen, only to have her life taken by criminals involved in gang warfare. That side of the story needs to be focused on and Jamaicans should put their support behind the police to, actually, finally bring an end to the gangs," Holness said.

In providing an update on the case of the 14-year-old girl, Manderson said the police were following strong leads.

"What we are getting at this stage is that the perpetrators, possibly, all of it being gang-related, but it's a wanton shooting with an intent of getting somebody who they did not get and that these are players possibly from outside of the space. We are in dialogue with other divisions as we are in pursuit of these individuals. Wee won't relent. It's our intent to bring them in to justice," Manderson said.

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