KINGSTON, Jamaica — Chief Executive Officer of the Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA) Otarah Byfield says the authority is committed to its mission of increasing the standard of accountability within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

Speaking with the JIS News following the completion of the Transforming Our Police Service (TOPS) Competition Byfield said accountability affects the trust and confidence that the public has in the services provided by the JCF.

“If we are able to raise that standard of accountability then for sure you will have a positive impact on the trust that the public has in the service of the JCF,” she stated.

Byfield noted that the main objective of initiatives such as the TOPS competition, is to raise the level of compliance in the general policing processes that they assess.

The stations were judged on their compliance with specific JCF standard operating procedures, such as records management, station administration, station facility, utilities conservation and customer service.

Byfield said that the officers who were in participating police stations, saw the competition as an opportunity to improve their work.

“You are also boosting their morale, you are encouraging them and you are showing them an element of recognition for their service,” she stated.

She added that the organisation will continue to target the improvement of processes islandwide.

“Divisional commanders and area commanders will have to sit down with the members of the authority to account for their performance or lack thereof. They will have to now commit to say I am going to improve on my services or compliance by this percentage and by this strategy and the PCOA will go back in and follow up on those commitments. It is not just an awards ceremony but the accountability continues,” Byfield explained.

Bamboo Police Station in St Ann walked away as the champion of the inaugural PCOA TOPS competition on Wednesday, November 27 at the awards ceremony held at Couples San Souci in St Ann.