Witter release also that said that Ellington’s letter had acknowledged that the inspection of police lock-ups and jails was “for the mutual benefit” of the police and the public defender, and that inspectors were required to present official identification from the public defender’s office.

Just last week, inspectors from Witter’s office were reportedly refused access to the Hunts Bay police lock-up to review jail conditions, following media reports and complaints from relatives of detained persons about overcrowding and health concerns at the jail. Inspectors from Witter’s officer were reportedly told by police officers at the Hunts Bay lock-up that Commissioner Ellington had advised that access would only be permitted once his office had been given 48 hours’ notice by the public defender.

The Office of the Public Defender is an independent commission of Jamaica’s Parliament, that’s mandated to investigated governmental maladministration and to protect and enforce constitutional rights, and in particular, the fundamental rights and freedoms of Jamaicans, including the right to life, and protection against arbitrary arrest, except during periods of public emergency.

He added: “For too many years, there has been a rate of slaughter of our people by our people themselves that is not only frightening, but demands reduction,” and “… we think that perhaps, with a more determined and conscientious approach to law enforcement, no matter the perils that confront the constabulary and particularly those on the front line, greater regard to the rules of engagement can lead to a reduction in the incidence of fatalities.”

The public defender’s office investigated 59 cases of police killings last year, nearly twice as many as the 34 such investigations that were done in 2008.

The BSI, which has responsibility for probing police shootings, investigated 241 fatal shootings by police officers in 2009, up by 17 from 224 in 2008.

Speaking also at yesterday’s function, Sergeant Raymond Wilson (Chairman of the Police Federation – which represents rank-and-file members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force) agreed that there is a need for greater adherence to rules of engagement. However, he said attention must be paid to the situation under which Jamaican policemen and women operate (high incidents of gunmen engaging the police). Despite this, he reminded police officers that, in carrying out their duties, they should “consider their authority, what is legal and what is proportionate“.

Susan Goffe (spokesperson for the human-rights group Jamaicans For Justice) also spoke at the function, and charged that the police are not paying careful attention to its own use of force policy.