WMW Jamaica Endorses Call for Police Accountability and Respect for Constitutional Rights

Kingston, Jamaica – Saturday, May 3, 2025

WMW Jamaica strongly endorses the peaceful protest held at the Half Way Tree Transport Centre on April 29, and stands in solidarity with Jamaicans for Justice and all citizens calling for accountability to our constitutionally-protected human rights from the nation’s police force.

The organization raises alarm at the rising number of fatal police shootings. According to the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), 111 people have been killed by security force shootings so far this year—this is more than 2.5 times the 44 fatal shootings reported during the same period in 2024. This sharp increase reflects an unacceptable trend since 2019.

Since 1987 WMW Jamaica has advocated for women’s human rights and continues to educate against gender-based violence and other forms of injustice. Our members are dismayed by the increasing number of men killed at the hands of law enforcement in 2025. These deaths are devastating families and relatives, including women, men and children in communities across the island. 

WMW Jamaica emphasizes that many of these deaths are preventable, and that failure to address this is undermining public trust. The organization calls for full support of established accountability laws and institutions, especially INDECOM, and properly funded digital infrastructure to support the rollout of police body cameras, first piloted more than ten years ago.

Despite Jamaica’s capacity to modernize digital systems during the COVID-19 pandemic, this life-saving tool has not been treated with the necessary and required urgency. Body cameras are proven internationally to reduce fatal encounters with police, and protect police from false accusations. This will serve to improve trust between communities and law enforcement. 

While expressing deep sympathy for the families affected by police encounters resulting in the deaths of their relatives, WMW Jamaica also urges duty bearers to honour the constitutional rights of families to due process. This is essential to ensuring public trust throughout society and reinforcing public support for law enforcement and the legal system. WMW Jamaica’s membership spans four generations of anti-violence advocates, and calls for a united civil society front in demanding real, lasting solutions to violence against all Jamaicans. 
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References:

The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms Act 2011 (Simplified Version) 

The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms Act 2011 (Jamaican law)

Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM)

JIS January 24, 2014 - Body Cameras for Policemen

JIS April 25, 2023 - 1,000 Additional Body-Worn Cameras to be Purchased

US National Institute of Justice - Research on Body-Worn Cameras and Law Enforcement