KINGSTON, Jamaica – Minister of National Security Robert Montague today challenged the leadership of the Jamaica Constabulary Force to reward performance and punish incompetence within the police force.

Speaking at the 73rd Annual Joint Central Conferences of the Jamaica Police Federation in Rose Hall, St James, the minister charged the JCF leadership to create a culture of respect, fairness, professionalism, and trust at all levels

“[A culture] that ensures that performance, character and competence are rewarded and non-performance, laziness, incompetence, and unprofessionalism are punished,” Montague said. “We want a JCF where each and every one of you is motivated to perform at your highest level in the interest of the citizens of our beloved country.”

It is in this regard that the minister said his administration is insisting on a promotion policy that is “performance, merit and academically based”.

He said the promotion policy should be “simple, transparent and understandable, so that once a new member of the JCF graduates, he or she should know and understand the policy.

“Why it is that after a constable passes his Corporal exams and he is not promoted he has to re-sit the same exams? Yet, nobody does formally call him in tell him why he did not make the grade,” the minister reasoned.

“There must be a system where after you have passed your exams and you don’t get promoted after a period, the person must be called in and told what are their faults or shortcomings,” he said. “They must, in a modern professional force, be given an opportunity to make the corrections and try again.”

He questioned the reason behind passing an exam and not being promoted after two years that a police officer should be required to re-sit the entire exam.

“Are you telling me that you don’t carry success forward? After you have passed you have passed,” he insisted. “A refresher course, yes; a new module, yes; but not the whole exam.”

The minister was quick to point out that not everyone that passes the exam is going to be promoted.

“But everyone must be treated fairly and justly,” he said. “Everyone must be given an equal opportunity to succeed.”