Snap raids under fire

The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) has recommended that a senior officer from the rank of inspector or above should be present on all planned police operations.

The police oversight body argued that constables to the rank of sergeant should not be undertaking ‘snap raids’ without the requisite planning or involvement of the inspector or a more senior officer.

This recommendation forms part of an extensive special investigative report on planned police operations (PPO) that was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.

In his remarks, INDECOM Commisioner Hugh Faulkner declared that the commission was “unapologetic” in its repeated recommendation to both Parliament and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) that body-worn cameras (BWCs) must be prioritised to be deployed during planned operations.

Highlighting data from PPOs for the first seven months of 2025, INDECOM reported that 97 people were killed during these operations, representing 51 per cent of the 190 fatalities as at July 31 this year.

Since June 2024, with the exception of three months, monthly fatalities by the police have exceeded 20 pesons. INDECOM says current projections for total fatalities in 2025 by the security forces will approach 300.

In 2019, the number of persons killed during a PPO was the lowest, at 10. INDECOM reported that in 2021, PPO fatalities were nine per cent of total fatalities, when 11 men were killed.

However, the police oversight body said since 2022, there has been a marked and disquieting increase in fatal shootings occurring during PPOs.

From the low of 11 persons fatally wounded in 2021, to 76 in 2024, it represents a 591 per cent increase in deaths arising from planned police operations in 36 months.

The commission said a feature observed in PPOs was the attendance by the JCF to premises that had previously been visited in the preceding days, during which no armed confrontation occurred.

Additionally, it said premises are attended to seek persons who are already known to the JCF and are on bail for murder with reporting conditions at a police station.

According to INDECOM, in August 2024, two constables attended a premises, without a warrant, citing a ‘snap raid’ and alleged that they had received information that a man was wanted on suspicion of murder.

The police reportedly stated that the door to the premises was ajar and that they were confronted by a man, who was allegedly armed. The man was shot and killed.

However, INDECOM said the subject was reporting on bail to Hunt’s Bay Police Station, since April 2024 every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It said the ‘snap raid’ occurred on a Thursday.

Further, the police oversight body said the deceased had attended the police station three times in the previous week.

“In the absence of proper planning, supervising command, any search warrant, and a lack of correct intelligence as to where this alleged wanted man could be found, this planned operation was flawed. The deceased could have been detained the next day at his regular reporting,” INDECOM stated.

NO OPERATIONAL PLAN

In another scenario, INDECOM said the police conducted a planned search with a warrant but had no operational plan.

The police told INDECOM that after receiving information about a man with a firearm in June 2024, the lawmen obtained a search warrant, which was not produced, according to the commission, and entered the premises.

After gaining entry to the house through an open door, the police reported that they were confronted by an armed man. INDECOM said the deceased was subject to a daily curfew between 7 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. and reported three times per week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

The deceased had reported to Irwin police station on the Wednesday, shortly before the Thursday, when officers attended the premises in the early hours of Thursday. Family reported that local officers visited his premises at least three times a week to enforce the curfew.

According to INDECOM, in none of the cases were any documented plans prepared. It said each entry was cited as acting on ‘information received’ and attendance to premises where the subject was already known and established as part of curfew orders and regular reporting conditions for a murder charge.

“The pattern of attending upon persons, subject to current murder charges, on information received, without written plans, warrant, or involvement of senior officers is not conducive to the JCF’s strategic obligations to ensure ‘right to life’ protections,” the oversight body stated.

It noted that eyewitness testimonies from citizens in these cases provide a different account.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com