MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Commandant for the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) James Golding has urged his officers to remain committed while discussions continue about the ISCF’s future with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

“There can be no discussion on vision and on the future of the ISCF unless we grapple with the concept of merger, merger with the Jamaica Constabulary Force, which had been put squarely on the table by our minister (of National Security Peter Bunting). It must be talked about in the context of what is best for Jamaica and how we can attain our 2030 vision,” he said.

“Let me be bold enough to say that I support the merger of the forces as I believe it is an appropriate way in helping to develop a first-class police service for the Jamaican people,” he said.

“I implore you… to continue to do your work in a correct manner with all your might and do not become distracted by the discussions on merger. Merger or no merger, Jamaica needs us,” he added.

The ISCF commandant issued the charge on Sunday at the 63rd Anniversary Commemoration and Thanksgiving Service for his organisation at the St Mark’s Anglican Church in Mandeville.

A fact profile on the ISCF states that it was officially established in 1950 as prior to that, the constables were only used if there was a need for their service.

“Before this, the Constables (Special) Act of 1904 allowed two justices of the peace to appoint any person from within the parish to become special constables for such time as they saw fit. This was usually done when the ordinary police was insufficient to preserve the peace and protect the citizens as was the case in the disturbance of 1938, World War II in 1939 and the 1944 General Elections,” the profile states.

Golding said that in the past ISCF officers struggled with inequitable treatment, poor conditions of service, acute shortage of resources and yearned to be recognised for the contribution that they were making to law enforcement.

“We had to fight for every benefit we achieved… Some of (the) stalwarts have given so much to our past, representing our every cause that they suffered personal irreparable damage,” he emphasised.

Golding said that, starting next year, he hopes the organisation will have a Veterans Day during the commemoration week of activities to recognise the efforts of individuals who have assisted in the transformation of the ISCF.

He said that today, members of the ISCF benefit from all the training opportunities given to their colleagues in the JCF and their service is fully utilised in every critical area of law enforcement.

Minister Bunting, in addressing the service, said that the merger would just be a “continuation” of the collaboration that currently exists between both Forces.

He said that the decision that the ISCF took to join with the church in having the service was a demonstration that they were not just relying on their training, discipline, courage or the ballistic armour provided, but “upon the whole armour of God”.

He reiterated his call for churches to work more closely with the authorities to tackle the “scourge” of crime and violence.

“I have always seen it as a paradox that Jamaica is a country listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as having the most churches per square mile while simultaneously we have consistently been among the countries with the highest number of murders per capita. This is a paradox that I don’t think that we can allow to continue,” said Bunting.

For his part, Lieutenant Colonel Trevor Leckie, representing Chief of Defence Staff in the Jamaica Defence Force Major General Antony Anderson, called the ISCF’s growth “a significant milestone for national security and democracy”.