Morgan's call to wear blue tomorrow in support of police threatens to divide society, says JFJ

Executive Director of Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) Mickel Jackson has warned that a call by Senator Marlon Morgan for Jamaicans to wear blue in support of the police tomorrow, the same day that the JFJ plans to protest against rising police killings, threatens to further divide the society.

Responding to Morgan, who today said the efforts of "well-thinking Jamaicans" should be directed at supporting and not tearing down members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), Jackson said his call frames the matter as one of a choice between supporting law-enforcement and advocating for their reform.

"Senator Marlon Morgan’s call to wear blue in solidarity with the police, during Jamaicans for Justice’s peaceful protest, risks polarising a national issue," noted Jackson.

"This stance may sideline reasonable demands for police transparency, such as body-worn cameras, which could enhance trust for both the public and the JCF," she noted. "Rather than fostering constructive dialogue, this approach may hinder progress on accountability, despite the protest's explicit pro-human rights and pro-accountability focus, which is not anti-police."

As evidence of this, Jackson said the JFJ has been integral in human rights training and JCF reform efforts as alluded to by Morgan in his remarks, noting that the human rights lobby group trained some 570 officers in 2023 and 2025. Still, there is much more work to be done, she explained.

In the meantime, Jackson questioned the capacity in which Senator Morgan made his directive to the public.

"Does his call reflect the government’s position, or is it a personal or party-driven initiative? By emphasising police solidarity, is he overlooking the protest’s call for systemic reforms, like body-worn cameras, which global studies show can reduce complaints and use-of-force incidents by 10 to 20 per cent?"

"We urge Senator Morgan to advocate for increased JCF resources to support such measures, while supporting the reasonable call for a clear, expedited timeline for body-camera implementation to strengthen transparency and public trust," she said.

- Corey Robinson

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