FALMOUTH, Trelawny — With nearly 30 years’ experience in law enforcement under his belt, People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for the Martha Brae Division Roydell Hamilton has vowed that if he is elected he will work on improving the relationship between cops and residents of Trelawny.

Hamilton, who has been a district constable since May 11, 1994, resigned in time to be nominated on February 8.

He said he will miss being a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

“The JCF is what makes me what I am today. Thank God I am still around, and I intend to bridge that gap between the police and the citizens of Trelawny. It cannot continue the same way. The police have to respect the citizens and the citizens have to do likewise. Being a political representative, of course I will achieve that goal,” a confident Hamilton told the
Jamaica Observer.

“When I started out I worked as a judge’s orderly during the day and in the night I would go and do my regular police duty at the station. But that changed about five years ago and I was assigned to protective service. I was assigned to Judge Ruth Lawrence for about five years now,” he explained.

He initially had no interest in political representation and was therefore reluctant when he was approached to enter the race. He was tapped to replace Phillip Service, who had held the seat since 2012, after Service indicated that he would not be seeking re-election.

“The people were convinced I am the right choice. I think I have served [the police force] long enough. I decided to go somewhere else now to continue serving in a different capacity and see how best I can build that gap between the police and the citizens,” Hamilton said.

“My grandfather was one of them in the district who would plan party meetings but honestly, I never see myself in the political arena. But the people need proper representation, transparency, and inclusiveness,” he pointed out.

Stressing that he strongly believes in community development, Hamilton listed among his top priorities the rehabilitation of a parochial road leading to the primary school in the community where he was born.

“The first thing I will be looking at is the school road in Daniel Town. That is my first priority; that is at the top of my agenda,” he said.

“I will also focus on the regularising of lands, especially in sections of Zion and the Texas areas of Daniel Town,” he added.

Hamilton will face off with another ex-cop, independent candidate Eric Wint, as well as the Jamaica Labour Party’s Dave Lawkin, on Monday.

Like Wint, Hamilton is a first-time contender, but Lawkin will be looking to turn the tables this time around, having lost to Service in 2012.

But Hamilton is brimming with confidence that he will beat his two opponents and regain the seat for his party.

“I am 90 per cent confident that I will be the next councillor for the Martha Brae Division — I am not worried — and that is because of how I treat the citizens of Jamaica. A man is just a man for me,” he said.