Model cop Janice gets recognition

Dave Lindo, Gleaner Writer

MANDEVILLE, Manchester:

CONSTABLE JANICE Johnson is one of the model police officers of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). She has earned this status through the unrelenting dedication, effort and professionalism she displays when carrying out her duty, 'to protect and to serve'.

It came as no surprise to her colleagues and her superiors that she was recently awarded as the Most Outstanding Police in Area 3 which comprises of the parishes of Clarendon, Manchester and St Elizabeth.

Johnson is from the rural district of Labyrinth in St Mary, where she attended Labyrinth All-Age School, and then went on to St Mary High School.

"After leaving high school, I worked for six months at the Beaches Boscobel Resort at the accounts department; I had specialised in business at high school," Johnson said.

With a burning desire to elevate herself in life, after some careful thoughts, she decided to join the JCF. As she explained, "I had a plan. I wanted to attend university and to get a solid education. I saw where the police force was an avenue for me to accomplish that while at the same time serving my country."

Johnson graduated from the Jamaica Police Academy on April 19, 2009. On graduation, she was posted at the Mandeville Police Station in the Manchester Division, where she has been working since.

She is also well on her way to realising her academic ambitions. "I am presently a third-year student at the University College of The Caribbean where I am pursuing a bachelor's degree in business administration," she said proudly.

Johnson said that her experience in the force has so far been great. "It has been just wonderful. The level of authority that is entrusted upon you to carry out certain duties, that you maintain law and order, is very impressive," she disclosed. "I have learnt a lot, I have grown, I have matured. It also imposes upon us to be individuals that can stand on our own."

She reflected on a moment when some doubts might have crept in on joining the force while she was at training school.

"We were doing an exercise with tear gas (at training school) and when that substance hit me, I was saying to myself, what have I got myself into? However, I stuck with it and just looked at the bigger picture and journeyed on," she recounted.

Beyond the call of duty

As to what stands out for her being a police, she said: "It's that management easily recognised who I was and what I stood for. Also, I believe at the end of the day the citizens of Jamaica want service from the police. If it means going beyond the call of duty to extend that level of service so that they (citizens) can say yes, the police has helped us, that is good for me."

The Most Outstanding Area 3 Police competition came out of an initiative from head of Area 3, Derrick 'Cowboy' Knight, in a move to boost the morale and confidence of the police under his command.

Johnson first won the Manchester division parade. She then moved on to win the award at the Area 3 Commanders Parade held in Mandeville last week.

At the Area 3 Commanders' Parade she went up against police from the other divisions in Area 3. They were judged by their presence at the parade, as well as on the respective criteria in being a good police.

Johnson was happy at being awarded the top cop for Area 3, remarking that she was "elated and it speaks to how ACP Knight and the commissioner in general are trying to boost the morale and confidence of members of the police force. Going forward, I feel more confident in doing what I am supposed to do."