INDECOM gives cops thumbs up in most questionable incidents
Published:Friday | July 19, 2013 | 12:00 AM
Edmond Campbell, Senior Staff Reporter
Head of the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) Terrence Williams has exonerated the island's lawmen in the majority of cases where the actions of members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force have been called into question.
Responding to a query from Minister of National Security Peter Bunting yesterday, during a committee meeting in Parliament, Williams said the investigative body had issued some 200 reports and at the end of its probes, a "minority" had been recommended for prosecution.
The INDECOM boss said in many of his investigations, he has found that the conduct of the officers was proper.
INDECOM has been established to investigate police excesses or extra-judicial killings by members of the security forces.
Asked by Bunting why he has not heard any of these reports in the media, Williams said none of these reports had been released to the media. He said only INDECOM's annual reports are sent to Parliament.
BREAKDOWN REQUESTED
Committee Chairman Mark Golding requested that INDECOM provide the committee with a breakdown of statistics on how many members of the security forces were recommended for prosecution, disciplinary action, and how many have been absolved.
Golding also wants INDECOM to submit a comparative analysis of how the investigative body handled issues under its remit as against the work of the Police Public Complaints Authority (PPCA), its predecessor.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) yesterday provided statistics on the number of rulings made by the DPP in relation to cases from INDECOM and the PPCA.
For 2010 (from August), when INDECOM was established, the police oversight body submitted seven files to the DPP. In the same year, the DPP handed down rulings in 14 cases, including some from the PPCA.
The following year, eight cases were submitted to the DPP by INDECOM, but the prosecutorial body ruled on 50 (including PPCA cases).
In 2012, INDECOM sent 13 files to the DPP, but with matters lingering from the PPCA, the prosecutorial body handed down 27 rulings.
For 2013 to date, INDECOM has sent 11 cases to the DPP and 14 cases have received rulings from that office.