What progress has been made in improving public security in Jamaica and upholding human rights? How can the remaining challenges be addressed? This report identifies key security concerns as: state failure to provide protection; killings by police; and lack of police accountability. The government has embarked on reform processes reform that, if correctly and fully implemented, could remove many of the factors contributing to Jamaica’s public security crisis. Some (slow) progress has been made in reforming Jamaica’s public security institutions, but so far little improvement in security has been seen in deprived inner-city areas. Significant political will is required to overcome obstacles to reform such as institutional resistance.
Jamaica has one of the highest rates of violent crime in the world. At least 120 criminal gangs are thought to responsible for 80 per cent of all major crimes in the country. Most victims of violent crime live in deprived inner-city areas, many of which are controlled by gang leaders (sometimes with political patronage).
The Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF) has both failed in its policing duties and contributed to security problems. A large number of people are killed by the police every year – some in apparent extrajudicial executions. However, flawed investigations, corruption and a failing justice system have provided impunity for the officers responsible.
- There are widespread reports of bias, corruption and discrimination by police officers against people living in the inner cities.
- There are a high number of fatal shootings by police and persistent allegations of ill-treatment and arbitrary detention. The result is a lack of public confidence and little reporting of crime.
- Community-based policing is being piloted, but efforts to build trust confined to a few trained officers and disrupted by sudden raids by external police units.
- Impunity for police officers accused of human rights violations remains the rule, with no convictions reported since 2006. However, during 2008 and 2009 some cases of police shootings were dealt with promptly and the officers prosecuted.
Promising security reforms are underway. These include the implementation of the JCF strategic review and the Justice System Reform Task Force recommendations, as well as efforts to tackle corruption and develop a community safety and security policy.
- Wide-ranging police reform recommendations recognise the core need for a radical change in police culture, but the first eight months of implementation have mostly been dedicated to planning.
- Initial implementation of justice reform has been slow, but provisions to increase the number of judges and prosecutors have been approved.
- The government has started to tackle corruption in key sectors, and anti-corruption champions in the police, the justice sector, key ministries and public sector agencies have been brought together into the National Integrity Action Forum.
- A community safety and security policy aims to help rationalise, co-ordinate and harmonise social intervention programmes. This involves participatory community safety plans.
Factors which prevented the successful implementation of previous reforms are still present, however. For example, internal resistance within institutions could be exploited by political groups. Further, political leaders must be willing to adopt unpopular actions to tackle corruption and address links between politicians and armed gangs.
The Jamaican government must fully and systematically implement parallel, mutually reinforcing reform of the police and the justice system. Enhanced co-operation between Ministers and attention to internal communication and participation are important. Further recommendations for the government are to:
- Enhance police accountability by implementing a performance appraisal system, the review of JCF discipline and staff vetting.
- Establish the independent commission to investigate abuses by members of the security forces, a special coroner for police abuses and a special prosecutor for corruption.
- Adopt and implement a plan to combat discrimination and marginalisation, the root causes of violence. Substantial investment in the development of marginalised communities is vital.
Sustained international cooperation is particularly important in monitoring and data collection and in institutional and investigatory capacity building. Support for the finalisation and implementation of the community safety and security policy could help to ensure that measures for effective access to economic, social and cultural rights are included.
