Acting Police Commissioner, Glenmore Hinds, is maintaining that police personnel at the Barnett Street Police Station were not involved in the fatal beating of St. James resident, Mario Deane while in their custody.

However, Mr. Hinds says they must bear some responsibility for his death.

Six policemen have been interdicted or suspended as investigations continue into Deane’s death.

Deane, a 31 year old labourer, died on August 6, three days after being severely beaten, allegedly by other prisoners, inside the police station.

His death has sparked national outrage.

We have more in this report from Kalilah Enriquez.

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The two corporals and one constable who were on duty at the Barnett Street police station have been interdicted, while three district constables have been suspended.

None have been named, as investigations by both INDECOM and the police continue.

Acting Commissioner Hinds says the district constables are not being treated differently from the JCF members due to any perceived culpability on their part.

Rather he says the difference in the disciplinary procedures being applied are based on the provisions of the rules which govern the Jamaica Constabulary Force and its auxiliary, the Jamaica Rural Police Force.

Mr. Hinds says it hasn’t yet been decided what percentage of their salaries will be paid to those under sanction.

While insisting that the police were not involved in Deane’s beating, he’s admitting that other breaches may have occurred.

An admission by the Acting Commissioner that Deane’s death may have been prevented by the officers in whose custody he was detained.

Mr. Hinds is also acknowledging the responsibility of the JCF for Deane’s safety, a point that may well be contested in any civil action brought by his family.

In the week since Deane’s unfortunate passing, much has been said about the country’s ganja laws and the JCF’s policy of detaining persons who have been charged for small quantities of the drug.

Deane had been arrested for possession of a ganja spliff, a crime for which a Magistrate would have likely charged him a-hundred dollars.

As a result of the case, the Ministry of National Security has now instructed the JCF not to arrest persons for such offenses, but rather to serve them with summonses.

This is an interim measure designed to keep petty marijuana offenders out of jail, until parliament passes a law to ticket ganja smokers, rather than arrest and charge them.

That legislation is expected to be passed before the end of this year.

Acting Commissioner Hinds says the JCF not only supports the change in policy and law, but had proposed it years ago.

Kalilah Enriquez for Nationwide News.

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