The Caribbean Federation of Police Welfare Associations (CFPWA) says countries with the ability to use the death penalty should do so for criminals who attack or kill police officers.
The CFPWA voiced its concern about attacks on police officers in the region and has called for harsher sanctions for those found guilty of killing a police officer.
“The CFPWA wants to condemn these attacks and killings of our police officers across the region and calls for harsher penalties to be applied to those who attack police officers. We stand firmly behind the calls for the death penalty to be applied to anyone found guilty of killing a police officer,” the CFPWA said.
They added: “We urge the countries with the death penalty on the books to use it; hang them. They need to be put to the gallows in front of their families and friends.”
They also said criminals must understand the consequences of their conduct and that if they kill a state agent, they have forfeited their right to life when they are found guilty in a court of law.
They said the killing of police officers on duty has been normalized, claiming that there has been no public outcry over the deaths of police personnel.
“We note with great disappointment that very few voices have come out to condemn these acts against our members, yet many will come out promptly in defense of criminals. A police officer has a family too. We want to ask, where is the public outrage or outcry when a police officer is attacked or killed?” they said.
The association is encouraging legislators to make the changes to apply harsher punishment to those who attack state agents.
In recent weeks two Jamaican police officers were shot and killed in separate incidents.
