MONTEGO BAY, St James —

Mayor of Montego Bay Homer Davis has called on the authorities to make officers of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) maintain their rank on retirement.

“My appeal is… on behalf of the former members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, those who have attained the rank of superintendent and above, to take with them on their retirement that position. It is given to members of the Jamaica Defence Force, who when they retire as Captain they take their rank with them … so even 20 years after they leave the army they are still recognised as Captain,” said Davis, who was a member of the JCF for 16 years.

“I am saying from the rank of superintendent to commissioner, they must be recognised on their retirement because they have done such tremendous work, some have served over 35 years… so I see no reason why I cannot look on a former deputy commissioner who has retired and refer to him as ‘Deputy Commissioner’.”

Davis, who is also the chairman of the St James Municipal Corporation, was speaking at the 23rd annual general meeting of the Association of Past Members of the JCF Benevolent Society, Chapter One, held at the Verney House Hotel in Montego Bay recently.

He stressed that JCF members play a vital role in maintaining law and order in the society.

“We (members of the JCF) are the ones who face the bullets every day, we are the ones that are called upon every day, we respect the work of the army, they have done a tremendous job, but I am saying I see no reason why a commissioner, a deputy commissioner, a superintendent, a deputy superintendent should not be entitled to take their rank with them when they retire.”

Meanwhile, Davis is urging the hierarchy of the force to engage former members of the JCF for the betterment of the organisation.

“I am appealing to Senior Superintendent Marlon Nesbeth [the commanding officer for the St James Police Division] and others, to engage some of the active former members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. Make them come in at least ever so often, to mentor some of your young police, to mentor some of your not so young police, because I know there are several former detectives, former station commanders, former station managers … who have contributed immensely in their respective area of command,” Davis argued.

He stressed that many of the former members of the force are willing to give advice and make a difference in the society.

Senior Superintendent Nesbeth later told the Jamaica Observer West that although the JCF has been engaging ex-policemen, he believes more can be done.

“The organisation in itself has been engaging them (ex-policemen) presently, to help them to do with some issue on payments, not only to speed it up, but certainly to bring that level of transparency and some ex-policemen are in some specific positions assisting at the police headquarters, especially,” he explained.

He emphasised, however, that in St James while ex-policemen are being “engaged in dialogue we would want to bring them in to pass on the knowledge that they have, so we will be seeking to look at that, because there are some very experienced ex-policemen in the parish”.