JFJ concerned over reports of arbitrary detention, fingerprinting of men prior to Cooper’s Pen demolition exercise

August 14, 2026

Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) has expressed concern over reports of the arbitrary detention and fingerprinting of men before Tuesday’s demolition exercise in Cooper’s Pen, Trelawny.

Allegations are that at around 3:00 a.m., a police team entered the community and detained more than a dozen men, aged 19 to 30, before the demolition got underway.

Reports further indicate that the men were taken to the Falmouth Police Station, held for approximately 13 hours, fingerprinted, photographed and had their phones taken, before being released without charge.

In a statement, JFJ Executive Director Mikel Jackson says detention, fingerprinting and the seizure of personal property such as phones are significant interferences with constitutional rights to freedom of the person, movement, liberty and the right to privacy.

She said that where such measures are taken, the State bears the burden of demonstrating that they were lawful, necessary and proportionate.

Ms. Jackson is calling on the Jamaica Constabulary Force to provide clarity on the incident.

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