Jamaica Now Has A Commissioner For The Independent Commission of Investigations
Attorney-at-law Terrence Williams created history yesterday, when he was sworn in as Jamaica’s first Commissioner for the newly-created Independent Commission of Investigations. The commission will be solely responsible for the investigation of police killings; the new Commissioner will thus be supervising police investigations into allegations of abuse and other matters involving the police. The police’s own Bureau of Special Investigations currently investigates cases of police shootings and allegations of corruption.
Williams is a former Director of Public Prosecutions in the British Virgin Islands, who has been a practising law for approximately 20 years.
In March of this year, the House of Representatives passed the Independent Commission of Investigations Act, which takes power from the security forces to investigate themselves. The Act, among other things, provides for the appointment of an independent commission of investigations, described as a commission of Parliament; the establishment of regional offices of the commission which will be headed by the commissioner and deputy commissioner; procedures for members of the public to make complaints to the commission regarding incidents of misconduct by the security forces and other agents of the state; and methods of handling complaints, including informal resolution and dispute resolution. Both the commissioner and deputy commissioner are to be compensated at the same level as a judge of the Supreme Court.
Mr. Williams said yesterday that his unit will be training a cadre of investigators, and ensuring that the army and constabulary maintain the appropriate standards of accountability for use of force. In this way he hopes that they will earn the respect of the public. He also added that until the unit gets and trains new staff, he will start by supervising the police.
Tags : Independent Commission of Investigations, Investigate The Police, Police Investigations, Terrence Williams
4 Responses to “Jamaica Now Has A Commissioner For The Independent Commission of Investigations”
said on October 19th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
As a young man, age 24, I am really impressed by the instituting of such a system as The Independent Commission of Investigations. I always wondered about the implications of “cops investigating cops” and “soldiers investigating soldiers”. I was always of the view that such a system should exist to to produce results of high integrity as it relates to investigations done surrounding alledged unlawful acts done by members of the army and the constabulary force.
I am interested in becoming a member of the team. What are the requirements? And how do I get into contact with this organization’s office?
said on December 1st, 2010 at 2:36 pm
[...] recently established Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), which has been mandated to probe all allegations of abuse and other potentially criminal acts by [...]
said on December 6th, 2010 at 3:52 am
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, however here is mine. The last thing this country needs is to have the members of our security forces, de motivated, laid back or bombarded by stringent implications that are merely punishments from the country’s political activists. Firstly, our judicial system needs revision to implement and revise laws, not just to copy from first world countries but to counter the jamaican culture and organized crimes. Members of the security forces have been promised salary increases that are not met, however another independent organization has been funded Millions of dollars to tighten the leash on the security forces. I honestly think this country will pay dearly when the security forces will report for duty and just work with the motion, out of fear when there are criminal monsters in our society both in the upper and lower class, celebrating and having enough room to continue to tear our country apart.
said on February 26th, 2011 at 4:07 pm
[...] Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), which was established last year as the body with sole responsibility for the investigation of police killings, has laid its first [...]
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