As part of its continued efforts to strengthen the relationship between the police and communities they serve, LASCO Affiliated Companies and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) have shortlisted eight officers for the LASCO/JCF Police Officer of the Year 2019-2020 Award.

Now in its 19th year, the Police of the Year Awards Programme seeks to publicly acknowledge the professionalism and dedication of members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

Inspired by the police personnel’s drive to build mutual trust and respect, especially among youth, Corporal Oliver Dixon (Area 1), Corporal Kevin Grey (Area 2), Corporal Leroy Chambers (Area 3), Constable Oliver Livingston (Area 4), Woman Corporal Samantha Brown-Thompson (Area 5) Detective Sergeant Adrian Brown (Group 3), Corporal Andre Clarke (Group 4) and Sergeant Nemard Knight (Group 6) were selected as finalists after being nominated and reviewed by their peers and members of their community.

Speaking to the impact of the top cop award Renee Rose, LASCO Distributors brand manager noted that, “As the only national award programme to acknowledge the most outstanding acts of service by our police personnel, the LASCO/JCF Police Officer of the Year programme has made a significant impact on raising the morale of members of the force and the communities they serve.”

“The top-cop programme highlights community policing as a central strategy in community safety and fighting crime in Jamaica. LASCO recognizes that successful policing is the result of teamwork and we look forward to continuing our partnership with the JCF so that every Jamaican can feel safe,” concluded Rose.

LASCO Distributors engages finalists in a week-long series of events that allows them to demonstrate their passion for community and service in the JCF while offering networking opportunities, soft skills and media training.

“Our partnership with LASCO continues to be an excellent platform for our members to showcase the good work they have been doing in our communities. The LASCO/JCF Top Cop Awards has afforded us the opportunity to positively impact families across Jamaica and this has significantly improved the morale of our officers. We are grateful for LASCO’s support and look forward to strengthening the relationship in the years to come” explained Inspector Natalie Palmer from the JCF.

Founder and Executive Chairman of LASCO Affiliated Companies the Honourable Lascelles Chin, shared a similar opinion.

“For 19 years, LASCO has been committed to making the men and women of the force know that LASCO values their service and protection. Our public service professionals — teachers, principals, nurses, and police officers — are the backbone of our democracy and way of life. They are at the core of all we do and they keep the wheels of a society in balance,” he said.

The officer to be bestowed the honour of the title of LASCO Top Cop 2019 will be central to the strategy of promoting community engagements to mitigate crime.

The LASCO Top Cop 2019/20 finalists will serve the community of Runaway Bay in St Ann with an upliftment project to the Runaway Bay All Age School grounds on Monday, April 29.