GREEN ISLAND, Hanover — Jamaica Police Federation Chair Sergeant Arleen McBean, who is urging the Government to offer members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force an improved salary package, has pointed out that 50 claim items under the 2025/2027 salary proposal have been submitted to the Administration for consideration. She is also advocating 100 per cent health insurance coverage for cops.

The calls came Tuesday as she addressed the first day of the federation’s 82nd annual joint central conference being hosted at Princess Grand Jamaica Hotel in Green Island, Hanover.

According to McBean, on February 19 she made a presentation to the leaders of a police joint branch board at Police Officers’ Club, where the relevant adjustments and a submission were made.

“They just said, ‘Listen, this will be it.’ With a country experiencing such a reduction in crime, with a country experiencing that level of reduction, when it comes down to murder, major crime, the men and women are shining, the men and women are working. Even when our payslip comes with the money short, without the money, we are working. When it’s short, we are working. So guess what? The time is now. The transformation is before us. The success is there and it is clear, we are looking forward to a successful negotiation,” stated McBean.

She argued that the federation is looking forward to a Jamaica Constabulary Force that will be able to attract regional partners to join.

“So I am simply saying we want to see some Caribbean persons come here and say, ‘Jamaica pays. They pay their police so well that I have to join the Jamaica Constabulary force’,” stated McBean.

The federation chair assured the gathering that she will not relent in ensuring that the relevant benefits and remuneration are given to the men and women who sacrifice their time and energy to serve, protect, and reassure the citizens of Jamaica.

“We deserve to be paid on time, in real time and have a proper system where we do not have to get messages to say that your payslip will not be ready today, but we have an advanced system, advanced technology to send the thing to us that we can track how we are paid,” argued McBean.

She also used the opportunity to call on Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake and Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang, who were both present at the conference, to address the ongoing issue of overtime payments.

“Minister, we really want the overtime thing to be fixed. We want it to be fixed, commissioner, because it is a distraction to the men and women. Can you imagine our overtime system being fixed? Just imagine a fixed overtime system. You will have consistency. Some persons, they work 20 hours, and when they work 20 hours, they’re paid for five. We don’t want that anymore. We want a fixed system. And your federation, I can tell you, commissioner, we have been following that and working with the workforce management system to make it work for all of us,” assured McBean.

She said the federation is looking forward to a system where its members can purchase a Benz, BMW, or a Toyota Prado instead of a Toyota Probox.

“Understand what I’m saying? Not a Probox. So, I am thinking, colleagues, that we have to aim high. The days of ‘pro-boxicity’ are done for the members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force,” insisted McBean.

She also told the conference that the federation is crying out for 100 per cent health insurance coverage. However, she thanked Minister of Finance and the Public Service Fayval Williams for suggesting that it be placed in the next proposal.