'Don't crucify CCN'
Published:Wednesday | August 4, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter
Faced with a deluge of criticisms over the erroneous report it released on last week's fatal shooting by the police of a man in Buckfield, St Ann, the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) is urging Jamaicans not to crucify the messenger.
The CCN has also instituted new rules to reduce the possibility of it releasing similar incorrect reports on other incidents involving members of the security forces.
"We are acutely aware that what happened should not have happened but the CCN followed all the rules consistent with any other media entity," communications director in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), Karl Angell, told The Gleaner yesterday.
"It is unfortunate that CCN received a report that was incorrect," Angell added, as he responded to increasing calls for the entity to be disbanded.
According to Angell, Police Commissioner Owen Ellington has ordered the inspectorate of the force to conduct an investigation to determine how the incorrect report was filed in the station diary.
Checked with station
Angell said that, as usual, the CCN received the report from Police Control and checked with the station to confirm issues such as time and place.
This was confirmed through the entry in the station diary, which is regarded as the 'bible' for police operations.
After that was done, the report was subject to the normal editing procedure before being released.
"This is consistent with the practices of any media entity," argued Angell.
He said based on the incident in Buckfield, the Executive Management Board of the JCF yesterday decided that reports of shootings involving the police will no longer be immediately released.
"The CCN will confirm that there was a shooting, who was shot and where. If there was any seizure, that will also be included but the circumstances will not be released until there is an investigation by the Bureau of Special Investigations or some other body," said Angell.
"What I can promise is that the details will be released but those will be based on the findings of the inves-tigations and not the reports of the police personnel involved."
He said reports of other incidents, not involving the members of the security forces, will be released in full as usual.