The President of the National Democratic Movement, NDM, Peter Townsend, is blasting the government and opposition for exploiting the death of Mario Deane for a cheap photo opportunity.
Mr. Deane died last Wednesday from horrific injuries he suffered while in custody at the Barnett Street lockup in St. James.
Mr. Townsend says the issues which led to the death of Mr. Deane have been allowed to fester by respective PNP and JLP governments.
We have more in this report from Dennis Brooks.
The NDM President is condemning the killing of Mr. Deane.
He says he’s shocked and outraged at the killing of yet another Jamaican, in the care of agents of the state.
Mr. Townsend is also angry at the governing PNP and the Opposition JLP.
He says he begs to differ with the views of the Justice Minister, Senator Mark Golding, that the main issue in what he calls the latest dastardly act of the police, is the need for ganja law reforms.
According to Mr. Townsend, the issue goes way beyond that and speaks to a culture of continued police excesses along with the abusive, uncaring attitude of successive governments.
Mr. Townsend is condemning both the government and the Opposition for what he says are their hypocritical, self-serving photo opportunity statements, in an effort to use the unnecessary death of another Jamaican to try to show they care.
According to the NDM President, these state abuses have a very long history, going back to the politically motivated 1976 State of Emergency and the introduction of the Suppression of Crime Act.
Mr. Townsend says the NDM believes that a change of attitude and behaviour of police personnel is necessary to bring a halt to the wanton abuse of citizens rights.
He’s calling for fundamental changes to the way the Constabulary operates along with a change of designation from a police force to a police service.
Mr. Townsend also wants the Police Commissioner to report to parliament rather than to a government minister.
Dennis Brooks for Nationwide News.
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