THE Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is projected to surpass its target of 1,250 recruits for this fiscal year, including 490 slated to complete training next month. Currently the JCF has a complement of 12,300; 700 of whom are trainees recruited as of December 20, 2022.

In providing an update on the JCF Transformation Programme, Lieutenant Colonel Oral Khan (Retired), executive director of the Consensus Monitoring & Oversight Committee (CMOC), said: “The JCF Transformation Programme is one of the pillars for which the Government of Jamaica should be most proud. We at CMOC have found that presentations made by the JCF team have been of a consistently high quality and with sufficient transparency to assist us in understanding the positive difference the investments in transformation is delivering for Jamaica.”

He was speaking at the CMOC hybrid press briefing on Thursday, February 9 at the Spanish Court Hotel.

A highlight of the period under review was the fact that the JCF achieved ISO 9001 certification for the 119 emergency centre, data centre and pilot police stations at Duhaney Park and Matilda’s Corner. The pilot roll-out of the case management system, which is expected to replace the decades-old station diaries, is slightly ahead of schedule and at the end of the fiscal year there are expected to be more stations online and running than initially projected.

Other major achievements by the JCF during the period ending December 2022 were the Accelerated Promotion and the High Potential Detective Training programmes which exceeded graduand targets, as well as the enrolment of over 50 persons in the Crime Analyst Training Course launched in November 2020.

With plans by the JCF to implement Internet and network connectivity at 220 police stations, work has been completed at 50 stations while the procurement process to upgrade the network service at an additional 90 stations is currently underway.

However, those initiatives which continue to lag behind include: the procurement and roll-out of a new standard uniform kit, the process for which began in 2021; and the procurement of 300 standardised, fit-for-purpose vehicles. Lieutenant Colonel Khan noted that phases of each are being rolled out as budgetary allocations are made available. He also pointed out that budgetary constraints have affected several other procurement projects including uniforms, distribution of body-worn cameras, and fleet maintenance.

“Progress has slowed on the renovation and/or construction of the promised 65 police stations projected for the 2022/2023 fiscal year. Eight of those have been completed, 17 are ongoing, and 40 are at the proposal or planning stage,” the CMOC executive director said.

According to Lloyd Distant, chairman of CMOC: “… there are a lot of positives to report in relation to the transformation of the JCF, and CMOC is looking to expand its report in future to begin highlighting the improvements, efficiencies and benefits that Jamaica is experiencing from these investments”.

— JIS