GOVERNMENT yesterday agreed to compensate rank-and-file policemen and women who will be assigned special duties during the ICC Cricket World Cup, separately from their monthly salaries.

Corporal Raymond Wilson, chairman of the Jamaica Police Federation, which lobbied for the payment to be made, told the Observer that the agreement was reached at yesterday’s monthly meeting with Security Minister Peter Phillips.

“We had a meeting today (yesterday) with our minister of national security, who we have been in dialogue with for the past several weeks with regards to payment for police officers regarding Cricket World Cup. I must say today was a very fruitful meeting, because not only has he accepted the proposal for payment he has committed to compensate the officers that will be working in the venue,” Wilson told the Observer yesterday, shortly after the meeting.

The federation and the government have been at odds on the matter, after it emerged that police officials in other territories hosting Cricket World Cup matches would be compensated separately for services during the tournament.