Slain cop remembered as an exemplary lawman

By TANESHA MUNDLE Observer staff reporter mundlet@jamaicaobserver.com

Monday, March 22, 2010

THE mood was sombre at the thanksgiving service for slain police corporal Miguel Robinson Cuff yesterday, even as glowing tributes from dignitaries, family members, co-workers and friends praised the cop for being a stellar serviceman.

The 29-year-old officer from the Police Statistics Department was remembered as a remarkable individual and an exemplary lawman who epitomised all that was virtuous during his years on earth. Speaker after speaker reflected on the life of a man who had a rich and promise-filled life that was cut short by unscrupulous individuals.

Cuff, who was the only child for his mother Andrea Kildare, was found with multiple gunshot wounds in his Toyota Hiace bus in Southborough, Portmore on February 22, after he was abducted from his girlfriend's home in nearby Rosemary Lane, Naggo Head.

Yesterday, those who knew the cop -- who was also a student at the Northern Caribbean University (NCU) -- filled the Constant Spring Seventh Day Adventist Church in St Andrew. Most could hardly hold back their tears.

"Corporal Cuff's tenure in the JCF was characterised by dedication, commitment and hard work -- attributes that his killers will never know anything about," said Vivian Brown, senior director of modernisation and special projects in the Ministry of National Security, as he read the tribute from Minister of National Security Dwight Nelson.

"Corporal Cuff was an efficient and dedicated worker who was always willing to go the extra mile to complete any given task. His reliability and his high level of professionalism throughout his tenure will not go unnoticed," he added.

Chairman of the Jamaica Police Federation Sergeant Raymond Wilson in a very emotional tribute, described Cuff as a person who possessed "selfless generosity, uncompromising belief in all that is good, and an unwavering commitment to his colleagues, his family -- especially his mother -- his friends and most of all to God".

"Today is a very sad day for us. Even the very best of words cannot pay tribute to him or capture the sense of loss that we are feeling today," Wilson said.

Both the minister and Wilson challenged members of the security force not to be daunted by the daring attacks from criminals but to become more resolute in their fight against them.

Cuff's cousins -- Renae, Keira and Anika Kildare --who read the eulogy, said that Cuff was loved by everyone for his charming character.

"His younger relatives could always depend on him for academic support," they said of the man who grew up in the community of New River, St Andrew and who attended Cavalier All Age, St Mary All Age and St Mary High.

Cuff, who passed nine CXCs, had also enrolled at the NCU in January of this year where he was reading for BSc in Business Administration.

He is survived by his mother Andrea Kildare, his father Roderick Cuff, aunt, uncles other relatives and friends.

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COMMENTS (4)

Natasha Newman
3/22/2010

The crime has been getting worse everyday and all the politicians do is sit on their high seats and fight for political power, blaming each other and still not doing anything to minimise crime, i think we need to get up and fight for equal rights and justice as a nation and not as PNP and JLP. Can't we see they are all the same causing so much depression and sufferation to the nation.

Richard Edwards
3/22/2010

The jamaican people are immune to the crime situation, as a matter of fact they have accepetd it as part of their culture, the people elecetd to run the country have been dancing around crime for as long as I could remember, and it is ONLY when somebody who they consider to be of importance gets murderd you hear this tough talk about stemming crime, but so long as is poor people dying successive govrnment could care less about crime. The Bruce Golding administration has no blueprint for tackling crime, neither did the opposition, who ruled for 18years. Answer this, if you know that if you live in a country where you know if you commit a crime, for example murder, the chance of you getting caught and prosecuted and sentenced for your crime is close ZERO, what is there to prevent you from committing, if we are serious about solving crime is one thing, but to just say you are serious about solving crime is quite another thing. Solving crime in Jamaica is as easy as ABC, myself and about three of my colleagues here in New York, could arrive on the island tomarrow, and so long as there is NO political intereference, we could bring crime under control within ONE YEAR! It is not rocket science. I have sent many commissioners of police recommendations, and I have spoken to person here in NYC police dept, who has expressed a willingness to assist, if called on for expert advise. The problem with all of this is, the governemnt don't want to act, they want to continue to talk, and from all indications this business of just talking is not working.
Richard Edwards. New York City
betterlifeforjamaicans@yahoo.com

C. Brown
3/22/2010

Every day a the same ting, murder, murder, funeral, funeral... But the politicians don’t care.. I guess they have their bodyguards to protect them so they don't have to worry... Mr. PM Golding, I came to realized that neither you nor the opposition cares about the high crime rate. People dying everyday by the dozen, it seems, but unnu only concern about defending the rights of one man call "Dudus'. You all should be sentence to 12 lashes of the tamarind whip like Ivan in the harder they come...

carl williams
3/22/2010

This is very sad..Bruce sit in Jamaica House worrying about protecting the "rights" of dudus while the blood of Jamaicans continue to flow in the streets..Bruce , you are a waste and a big disappointment..Its time to go..Let dudus run the country

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Slain cop remembered as an exemplary lawman