Cops banned from using phones in court
Officers distracted by movies, scrolling TikTok; Complaints from judges, prosecutors force High Command to take action
Published:Thursday | January 9, 2025 | 12:12 AMLivern Barrett/Senior Staff Reporter
Uniformed cops assigned to the Jamaica Supreme Court have been banned from using mobile phones inside the courtrooms amid complaints from judges and prosecutors that the devices have become a distraction, a top police official has disclosed.
The ban, which took effect on Tuesday, also extends to cops assigned to the Family Court and the lower-level Petty Sessions Court.
It was imposed by the Kingston Central Police Division, which assigns cops to man all courts in the downtown Kingston area.
A memorandum dated January 3, 2025, which was circulated to police officers across the division, stated that “this communiqué is for strict compliance and deviation will be treated as a breach of discipline”.
“Yes, we have given instructions [restricting the use of cell phones inside courtrooms] because it was distracting them from their main purpose,” Senior Superintendent Beresford Williams, commanding officer for the Kingston Central Police, told The Gleaner yesterday.
Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Stephanie Lindsay promised to “make some checks” when asked by The Gleaner yesterday if the ban would be replicated across all police divisions.
Police officers assigned court duties are mainly required to escort prisoners who are in custody, man the entrances to courtrooms, and handle documents in a trial.
But while on duty inside the courtrooms, the cops are using their phones to do a number of “distracting things”, such as watching movies and scrolling through TikTok, the popular social media platform, a police source told The Gleaner.
“Police ina High Court and live pan dem phone and nah pay attention. Some watch movies and some deh pan TikTok. I use my phone, but me listen to when the judges and lawyers are talking,” the cop told The Gleaner yesterday.
‘IT IS JUST UNPROFESSIONAL’
The memorandum obtained by The Gleaner said judges and prosecutors have complained about the “heightened distraction” and “reduced alertness” among police officers using their phones.
Superintendent Williams declined to divulge details of the complaints received from the judiciary but said the concerns were “having a negative impact on professionalism and security generally”.
“It is just unprofessional … so we sought to get on top of it,” Williams said during an interview with The Gleaner yesterday.
“You are on duty, so you are to focus on what you are doing. Court is a high-risk area. You have prisoners to guard, you have people to pay attention to, and we just want people to remain focused and remain professional at work.”
The Court Administration Division (CAD) declined to provide details of the complaints and concerns raised by judges.
“The CAD has no further comment on what the police have instructed its staff,” a spokesperson said yesterday in response to questions submitted by The Gleaner.