There is a 121% increase in fatal shootings by the security forces.

In a statement today, the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom) said since the start of the year there have been more than 170 deaths as a result of run ins with the security forces.

It said it is concerned about the continued rise in these incidents, particularly fatalities stemming from planned police operations.

The four latest fatal shootings occurred in separate incidents in St. Catherine in the last 24 hours.

In the most recent incident along Gordon Wood Lane, in Old Harbour at about 2:30 a.m., 28 year old Cashan Saunders was fatally shot after he allegedly engaged police in an armed confrontation.

Yesterday, 28 year old farmer Joseph Dixon, otherwise called Bowsy, of Crescent District in Spanish Town, was fatally shot by lawmen in Ackee Walk, Dam Head at around 6:17 a.m.

Minutes earlier, at about 5:50 a.m., 31 year old Jason Bryan was shot dead by police in New Nursery.

His death came 20 minutes after Craig Lenford, otherwise called Chucku and Rasta, of Dallas Lane, Spanish Town, was fatally shot by police at about 5:30 a.m., during an alleged confrontation in De La Vega City.

The police say a firearm was seized during each incident.

In a release, Indecom said as at today, 177 people have been fatally shot by the security forces.

For the corresponding period in 2024, 80 persons were shot and killed, 97 fewer than this year’s fatalities.

Indecom has also taken issue with what it described as the persistent failure to prioritize the deployment of body worn cameras in planned operations.

It said despite the availability of body cams, through procurement and the infrastructure supporting the technology, the police force failed to make them routine in planned operations.

The Commission said although reported infrastructure issues have delayed full implementation across the JCF, body cams could still be deployed to record planned police operations in search of wanted individuals, yielding vital evidentiary value.

Indecom explained that in the majority of the current incidents, where men have been fatally shot, police accounts illustrate that the officers are entering premises and are not faced, as asserted, with challenges of a rugged terrain or major tactical impediments which would hinder the use of current and available body cams.

Indecom said it recognizes the dangers that can be faced by police officers and the importance of apprehending wanted individuals, however accountability and transparency are non-negotiable in modern policing and ensuring that “right to life” is recognized.

It said a recurring theme in the shooting incidents, show that weapons are alleged to have been pointed at officers, but in the absence of third-party eyewitnesses or video evidence, investigators are unable to verify or justify the use of lethal force.

According to Indecom, body worn cameras are essential, not only for providing independent verification and evidence-gathering and ensuring public trust, but also for protecting officers against false allegations.

It said despite this, the deployment of body cams in planned police operations remains improperly prioritized, even with the noticeable increase in such instances.