Since 2000, over 3,300 Jamaicans have been killed by state security forces. Jamaica faces a crisis on two fronts: a crisis of high crime, and crisis of violence and abuse by security forces (disproportionately impacting poor Jamaicans). We can no longer be quiet about this.
On August 28, 2019, join us for an in-depth exploration of police violence in Jamaica that speaks truth to power through a combination of the arts, victims’ voices and expert analysis.
This special forum will reveal the stories of Jamaicans who have suffered state violence and examine measures to change the culture of policing in Jamaica with the national authorities officially responsible for addressing this problem.
With over 500 persons injured or killed in police shootings within the last three years alone and hundreds more illegally detained and physically abused, reforming Jamaica’s police force should be a national priority if we are to rebuild public trust in the police as a “force for good.”
In Part 1, we hold space for victims’ voices – hearing those who have lost family members to police violence share their lived experiences of the unlawful killings, their difficult journeys through the Court system, and how they organized to heal and support each other.
In Part 2, we examine national efforts and tangible solutions to improve policing through a dynamic roundtable featuring the Police High Command, the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the legal division of Jamaicans for Justice.
Where: The Knutsford Court Hotel, New Kingston
When: Wednesday, August 28, 2019 | 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM