Chairman finally tries to bell the cat

I’ve sat and read the article written by the Police Federation’s chairman Patrae Rowe titled ‘The true state of The Jamaica Constabulary Force’ published in The Gleaner on Tuesday, December 31, 2019, and it gave me a sense of real-time confirmation of the day-to-day dragon-like, earth-god type of ill treatment that senior officers hand down to their junior ranks.

The lazy attitude and cronyism in the hierarchy continues to fail the strategic objectives of the police commissioner and the few loyalists he has in his corner who believe the major general is driving home a political agenda.

Having served the organisation for a little over eight years, I grew frustrated with the decision of punishment due to my outspoken personality and the fight for equality and personal development.

The attrition rate facing the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) today is to be blamed solely on vindictive behaviour by commanding officers and, to a lesser extent, the deputy who treats his juniors like a dog he deemed should never be classified as a pet.

Ninety per cent of the serving rank-and-file members do mean the country well and want to serve with pride and dignity, but the day-to-day frustration, little to no family time, working conditions coupled with a vindictive and disrespectful commander sometimes give the good policeman no other choice than to give up.

The recent amendments made to the ZOSO Act, incorporated with the Constabulary Force Act, particularly section 27 (1), which is now used as a tool to discard members of the Force who decide to move on and resign, now have them dismissed and resignation not accepted. That’s just an example of how poor the welfare and generosity channel itself through the Force.

LEAVE THEM ALONE

The membership of the high command needs to go or let go of the vindictive behaviour and allow the commissioner to lead; allow the young men and women who mean the citizens of Jamaica a world of good to serve wholeheartedly; and allow the rank-and-file members the opportunity of a fighting chance to defend themselves when attacked, whether on their way to or from work, by stop disarming them because they refuse to carry out an unlawful instruction imposed upon them or for their unwillingness to be sexually exploited.

Allow the men and women to serve with pride and dignity and stop demotivating them. Don’t drive them into frustration; leave them alone if you don’t wish to advise, train or have the positive intent to bolster their policing career.

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