Holness cautions police commanders on hypervigilance and unlawful force

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has warned that repeated exposure to dangerous policing situations can influence how members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force react while on duty.

Addressing the 91st cohort of the Staff and Junior Command Course, Holness said officers working in high-risk settings may become intensely alert to possible danger because of the psychological strain they face each day.

He said that kind of constant threat assessment can cause an officer to treat ordinary movements, places and objects as potential danger signs. According to the prime minister, such awareness may help keep police personnel alive, but it must be controlled through proper training, supervision, discipline and strong command leadership.

Holness stressed that the risks attached to police work do not excuse conduct outside the law. He said police leaders have a duty to ensure frontline officers are answerable for their decisions and actions.