Thu | Mar 28, 2024

KingAlarm promises transparency investigation into shooting incident

Published:Friday | July 6, 2018 | 12:00 AMChristopher Serju
John P. Azar - File photo

Security company KingAlarm is reporting that it has concluded in-house investigations into Monday's incident involving members of its armed response team, videos of which have gone viral on social media.

KingAlarm says this included analysis of radio transmissions, voice recordings, vehicle tracking records, body camera footage, as well as 20 detailed interviews.

Managing Director John P. Azar says where applicable, disciplinary hearings will be held to determine what, if any actions, should be taken against members of the team implicated in the incident. 

“By Monday, July 9, 2018, I fully expect that the hearings in question would have been concluded after which decisions will be taken based on the evidence put forth and the ultimate findings,” he advised in a press release.

Azar has directed that all video and audio recordings of the incident be turned over the police, the Firearm Licensing Authority and the Private Security Regulatory Authority, which are carrying out independent investigations.

In addition, all KingAlarm armed response teams and other armed security officers will undergo refresher training courses.

"The safety and security of [our] more than 20,000 clients remain a priority for the company," said Azar.

“We have responded to in excess of 3000 alarms signals since this incident and will continue to focus on serving and protecting our clientele, whilst working within the law,” added Azar.

FULL STATEMENT

As a follow up to our previous press release, we take this opportunity to update our valued clients as well as the public at large on a few developments.

Firstly, I am pleased to say that our investigations into the matter have concluded. I thank our dedicated Team of in-house Investigators who, in addition to looking at the videos circulated on social media, have analysed radio transmissions, voice recordings, vehicle tracking records and body camera footage, as well as conducting in excess of twenty detailed interviews, as part of their comprehensive investigation.

I thank our Team for working round the clock to complete same in the shortest possible time realising that time was of the essence for obvious reasons.

Where applicable, Disciplinary Charge letters will be served on members of our Armed Response Teams immediately and they will be summoned to Disciplinary Hearings where their right to due process will be respected. Until such time, all KingAlarm personnel who were at the scene on the day in question remain off duty pending the outcome of those disciplinary hearings.

By Monday, July 9, 2018, I fully expect that the hearings in question would have been concluded after which decisions will be taken based on the evidence put forth and the ultimate findings.

As this has now become a public matter, it is my intention to issue a further Press Release at that time advising the general public of the action that we would by then have taken against any individual/s found guilty of misconduct, unprofessionalism and/or violation of the human rights of another individual or breach of KingAlarm's Use of Force Policy.

On that note, I take this opportunity to advise the public that, whilst Human Rights Awareness already forms the backbone of our Use of Force Policy, I have reached out to Jamaicans For Justice to obtain refresher training in this regard for all of our Armed Response Teams, and armed Security Officers, to remind them of their obligations and responsibilities in this regard. I have instructed that all such personnel MUST have completed the refresher training within a maximum of 30 days of today's date.

In an effort to aid the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) and the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) in their respective investigations, and to ensure full transparency, I have today instructed that all data utilised in our investigations - to include over fifteen minutes of Body Camera footage from our personnel at the scene with video and audio - be sent to them. I trust they will find the new information as useful to their investigations as we found it to ours.

In closing, I thank the literally thousands of clients and members of the public for their thoughts, prayers, and support over the past few days. It is said that you judge the mettle of a man by how they react in times of adversity and I feel that the same can be said of how one should judge a company. I, therefore, thank the hardworking and professional members of our KingAlarm Team who have stuck to their tasks of securing and safeguarding our over 20,000 clients which remains, as always, our priority. We have responded to in excess of three thousand (3,000) alarm signals since this incident and will continue to focus on serving and protecting our clientele whilst working within the law.

We want to hear from you! Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-449-0169, email us at editors@gleanerjm.com or onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com.