Jamaica: Information on any changes made within the Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF) to combat posse violence
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 January 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | JAM22561.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Jamaica: Information on any changes made within the Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF) to combat posse violence, 1 January 1996, JAM22561.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aacd28.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
A reporter who has been working as a crime specialist over the last decade for the Daily Gleaner in Kingston stated to the DIRB, in a 2 January 1996 telephone interview, that the JCF put in place in early 1995 two special police squads to fight crime. The two squads are conducting Operation Justice and Operation Crest with the objectives of seeking and apprehending wanted criminals, mainly in West Kingston, Jamaica's foremost crime- ridden area. These police units are still operating in January 1996. The reporter also mentioned the existence of the Special Anti-Crime Task Force, created in 1993 to seek out hardened criminals.
The commissioner for the Jamaican Constabulary Force confirmed the existence of these police units to the DIRB in a 3 January 1995 telephone interview. The commissioner added some details concerning the units' membership and mandate. Operation Justice consist of a small number of policemen handpicked from the elite of Jamaica's Constabulary Force and fulfils the mandate described above. Operation Crest, on the other hand, comprises thousands of policemen in peace-keeping and community operations in West Kingston and is not explicitly involved in the pursuit of well-known criminals. Although the commissioner could not provide any information on the successes, structure and specifics of the operations involving these two forces, he indicated that the police units have received training from Canadian, Australian and Jamaican police personnel.
For information on the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), please consult the attached documents.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Daily Gleaner, Kingston. 2 January 1996. Telephone interview with a crime specialist.
Jamaican Constabulary Force, Kingston. 3 January 1996. Telephone interview with the police commissioner.
Attachments
CANA [Bridgetown, in English]. 23 July 1993. "Opposition Wins Police Reform, Ends Parliamentary Boycott". (FBIS-LAT-93-142 27 July 1993, pp. 24-25)
Latin American Regional Reports: Caribbean and Central America Report [London]. 19 May 1994. "Jamaica: Despised Crime Act Finally Repealed," p. 7.
World Encyclopedia of Police Forces and Penal Systems. 1989. Edited by George Thomas Kurian. Facts On File: New York, pp. 208-210.
Additional Sources Consulted
Amnesty International Report. Yearly. New York: Amnesty International.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Reports. Daily.
On-line searches of news articles.
