Orville Taylor | Code Blue and black

Black and blue are usually the evidence of one’s losing a fist fight. Last Tuesday, as my alma mater St George’s College kicked its 175th anniversary celebrations into high gear, it was exciting to see full displays of blue. Unfortunately, the appropriation of this colour by the Government was some symbolic show of support for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and apparently in direct response to the call from Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ), to wear black to demand greater accountability in law enforcement.

Understanding that the election odour is strong in the air like ram goats, it makes political sense to back the police, because a fist fight is imminent, and blue could avert an ‘electile’ malfunction.

Indeed, the winning formula for elections since universal adult suffrage, but especially since independence in 1962, has the support of police, the working poor and organised labour as indispensable. Check it. Since 1976, every government that turned against the leadership of the federated ranks, has lost the next election.

Support however, is much else besides wearing blue.

Seeking an improvement in ‘accountability’ cannot be opposed by any well thinking personnel, including government, the police themselves and society at large.

Dressed in black, protesters, about 100 strong, gathered, calling for speedy trials, swifter investigations, and disciplinary procedures, body worn cameras and reversal in the increasing number of police fatal shootings.

Along with the demand for reform of the Constabulary Force Act, there is the strange request for publication of force orders, the JCF’s internal confidential memos.

The latter request is overreach.

Nevertheless, although emphasising that the demonstration was not ‘anti-police’, JFJ flagged the non-wearing of body cameras and implicitly linked the increase in police fatal incidents to the absence of this apparatus. This is a major premise, which extremists, including some with blind political biases, have been riding, in pursuance of their selfish agenda.

Of course, my first contention as an Africanist ‘blacktivist’, is the choice of this wonderful colour to denote something negative.

With an entire rainbow at its disposal, JFJ’s choice spits in the face of Garveyites, Rastafari and ‘Blackademics’ who campaign to create a positive twist and black pride. Indeed, just imagine the ire of ‘mans’ from an iconic Jamaican high school if someone appropriated their ‘royal’ hue, to make a statement inconsistent with their core message.

Now, I agree with JFJ that the counter protest by the government could be divisive, because we all should support increased levels of scrutiny in all areas of our system of governance.

However, as with other areas of activism, JFJ is presenting an exaggerated, skewed impression of Jamaican reality.

Years ago, we went down the same road, when a minority within the group of sexual minorities, turned its back on the evidence that Jamaica was not even vaguely the “most homophobic country” in the world, as Time magazine misrepresented us to be.

Fact is, the irony was that American ‘human rights’ groups were coming after us, when the homicide rate of sexual minorities in the US, was proportionally and still is, around three times that of Jamaica.

Similarly, the data regarding police killings in ratio to police officers killed by criminals, was identically 1:17 when Jamaica and the US, were compared for the first two decades of the 21st century.

When the devil in the details was examined, it was discovered that Jamaican police fatal incidents typically occur during planned operations, while in the US, they are during ‘routine’ stops. Jamaican police have higher rates of weapon recovery and a significantly higher rate of officers being charged.

Moreover, up to when the research was conducted, there was no statutory obligation for American cops to statistically record fatal incidents, unless they are suspicious. Thus, the numbers could easily be higher.

That being said, the narrative of non-accountability needs to end. Unlike the USA, our head of government cannot direct the Chief Constable to end an investigation. Thanks to people like Novelette Grant, and others, when many internal entities were either formed or reformed, at least three divisions within the JCF can investigate police misconduct and press charges. An external Police Civilian Oversight Authority also exists.

Importantly, nowhere in this hemisphere is there an equivalent of our professional and very competent Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM). To suggest that police have no accountability goes right back to the misrepresentation about 11 years ago, when the Leahy Legislation in the US, denied us tactical support because of ‘impunity.’

For those who treat the dictionary as ornaments, the word means, “exemption from punishment or freedom from the injurious consequences of an action”.

Former INDECOM Commissioner Terrence Williams’, and current commissioner Hugh Faulkner’s integrity is as clean as my math homework book. Furthermore, some of the officers, I have personally known since their teens and taught. Handpicked, they are a cadre of our best and work so hard, that they are as exhausted as Noah’s John Crows after the flood.

To suggest that police wantonly break the law, and kills civilians while INDECOM, stand with zero potency, like Neo who alternatively took the red instead of the blue pill, is not only disingenuous but disrespectful to the Commission.

True, there has been a more than 120 per cent increase in police killings. But answer this critical question. Has there been an increase in the cases that INDECOM labels as ‘suspicious’? Since its inception in 2010, those have hovered around 20 per cent and up to the present, the ratio holds.

So, what is the point? That we should seek a reduction of the 20? Absolutely! But, let us use our brains now rather than placing them on fixed deposits.

Any conversation regarding the correlation between the increase in police homicides and the dip in the overall homicide rate, is for the constabulary itself to lead. Moreover, for those who wish to support the police, please deliver the following; i) post-retirement health insurance, ii) post-retirement life insurance and, iii) expeditious provision of retirement benefits to former members.

My inbox is full of sad stories. For that, I will wear just a touch of blue.

Dr Orville Taylor is senior lecturer at the Department of Sociology at The University of the West Indies, a radio talk-show host, and author of ‘Broken Promises, Hearts and Pockets’. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and tayloronblackline@hotmail.com.