KINGSTON, Jamaica, Oct. 25, CMC – Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake is urging members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to show compassion towards the families of three alleged gunmen killed in a recent confrontation with police, while condemning the glorification of violent criminals.
In his weekly Commissioner’s Corner column in the Force Orders, Blake said relatives should not be denied sympathy because of the alleged criminal activities of their loved ones.
“A mother who loses a son still experiences the pain of that loss. A child who loses a father must still face the reality of growing up without him,” he said.
The commissioner was responding to the deadly police operation in Sligoville, in the central parish of St Catherine, which claimed the lives of Corporal Trevoy Shaw and Constable Devoney Rose.
Three alleged gunmen were also shot and killed, while a 10-year-old girl, the daughter of one of the deceased men, was wounded.
Blake said the child’s safety and recovery must remain a priority, stressing that she did not deserve to be caught in the violence.
He acknowledged that some families may have spent years attempting to persuade relatives to abandon criminal activities and should not be denied compassion when those efforts failed.
However, the police chief warned that sympathy for grieving families must not be confused with support for criminality.
“What message are we sending when our first instinct is to defend the gunmen, condemn the police and disregard the lives that have been lost?” he questioned.
Blake expressed concern about individuals who defend and glorify violent criminals while portraying police officers as enemies of the communities they serve.
He also criticised those who shelter wanted criminals, provide information to help them evade arrest or supply resources to support their activities.
“We must stop pretending that support for violent criminals is harmless,” he said, warning that such actions contribute to an environment in which crime flourishes.
The commissioner again extended condolences to the families of the two slain policemen, describing their deaths as a reminder of the dangers officers face in carrying out their duties.
Blake maintained that the police were not enemies of law-abiding citizens and would continue confronting dangerous offenders within the law.
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