Letter of the Day | Accountability requires a stronger INDECOM

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I am writing with reference to the news published on September 24 regarding Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness’ address, titled ‘State is not above the Law’. While the prime minister’s assurance that independent institutions exist to hold the security forces accountable is welcome, the current reality of public trust dictates that we look deeper into how their oversight bodies are resourced and respected.

To build meaningful confidence among citizens who frequently harbour deep-seated mistrust towards the security forces, the State must go beyond declaring that institutions exist. It must actively empower them. Unfortunately, the reported discourse left a critical gap regarding how the government intends to improve the practical capacity of the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM). True accountability rests on the ability of oversight bodies to conduct thorough, unbiased and comprehensive investigations into all police-involved fatal shootings and killings.

To achieve this, we must reconcile state accountability with the practical provision of oversight resources. An excellent blueprint for capacity-building was recently highlighted in external oversight discourses, which suggested integrating specialised or custom-assigned public employees to support investigative workflows. Supplementing personnel in this manner would provide INDECOM with the specialised capacity it needs to clear backlogs and manage rigorous investigations.

Regrettably, there appears to be systemic friction between parliamentarians and oversight entities, often driven by tensions surrounding requirements for officials to submit declarations of their salaries, assets and liabilities. This tension must not block institutional progress, especially when the backlogs of these oversight bodies remain unresolved for consecutive years.

If the State is not above the law, the government should lead the charge in improving INDECOM’s operational capacity. Strengthening our oversight framework with robust resources is the most direct path to earning public trust and ensuring justice is transparently served.

CARGILL KELLY