SERGEANT Nadine Grant-Brown of Westmoreland was yesterday named as Lasco Police Officer of the Year.

Grant-Brown, who was runner-up for the award last year, topped nine of her colleagues for the coveted Lasco Trophy. She is the first woman to win the award since its inception three years ago.

The announcement of the top cop was met with a standing ovation and prolonged, thunderous applause from the more than 300 people in attendance.

This year’s runner-up was Inspector Samuel Morgan of the St Andrew North (Constant Spring) Division.

Grant-Brown took home the prize of $100,000, a trophy from Lasco and two airline tickets, courtesy of Air Jamaica. Runner-up Morgan received $50,000 from Lasco.

Grant-Brown, after accepting the award, said she was humbled and urged Jamaicans to make sacrifices similar to those made by the police in the execution of their duties. She also appealed for greater public co-operation in crime-fighting efforts.

Since joining the force over a decade ago, Grant-Brown has made community outreach and youth development her top priorities. Founder of the Adopt-a-needy student project in Westmoreland, she is a leader of Cops for Christ and the Association of Christian Peace Officers.

Selection for the award is based on active involvement in community policing, the display of good work ethics, establishment and maintenance of good working relationship, professional knowledge of the job, awareness of national and international affairs, ability to effectively communicate verbally and written, have a congenial personality and good deportment.

Guest speaker, Chief Inspector Leroy Logan of the London Metropolitan Police Department, emphasised the importance of community policing, noting that ethics and integrity were not negotiable and admonished the police to exercise a zero tolerance approach to unethical behaviour.

“We as gatekeepers in the criminal justice system should be walking the talk of accountability and transparency in all our processes and practices, by having a zero tolerance approach to unethical behaviour,” Logan said.

He said, too, that the essence of community policing was to rely heavily on public consent, which can only be maintained through a holistic approach of the community and police.