GREEN ISLAND, Hanover — Declaring an intention to make the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) the best in the region, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang says its members are now being called on to train cops in some neighbouring countries.

“They are recognised now as certainly the best police force in the Caribbean, and we’re going to make them the best police force in the entire Latin American and Caribbean region,” said Chang as he addressed the Jamaica Police Federation’s 82nd Annual Joint Central Conference on Tuesday.

“Today, we are being called by many islands who want to train with our police officers. Only last week we were asked to send 30 of our police officers to the Turks and Caicos Islands. They need our assistance,” Chang explained.

“Others are calling for it. And we have had other officers going to small islands for special investigation because of the strength of the Jamaican police force today, their credibility, and professionalism,” added Chang.

He noted that this was a sharp contrast to what happened in the past.

“There was a time when the Jamaica Constabulary Force was viewed with suspicion. When you went across the Caribbean, even if the federation had a good connection down there, they didn’t want to hear about the Jamaican police force,” the security minister said.

He noted that the Government has invested heavily in the police force and other security agencies, and the country should take pride in the investment made with taxpayers’ money.

The minister’s views were shared by two of the federation’s executive members who spoke with the media at the conference.

General Secretary Sergeant Lloyd Duncan told the media following his re-election on Wednesday that the JCF is the premier police force in the Caribbean and, therefore, “it is no surprise that neighbouring countries are seeking to get assistance from us in training”.

“We have a lot of members in Cayman. We have members in Bermuda, Turks and Caicos, and it will only get better. We are proud that they are seeing our expertise. They are seeing that our policing standards are very high,” said Duncan.

He pointed to the National Police College of Jamaica in St Catherine as a testament to gains made by the JCF. The police college was recently accredited by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST).

“So it is no surprise that other member states are seeking our assistance in terms of policing and police training,” stated Duncan.

For her part, head of the federation, Sergeant Arleen McBean, told the Jamaica Observer that the JCF is blessed with brilliant minds and strategies that regional partners would love to know about, as well as an opportunity to be trained in various areas of crime fighting.

“What you see is a bunch of brilliant minds being extracted from the force, which we consider [to be] very transformational. They are getting the knowledge, the skills, and the experience for whatever moment or time. It is a good feeling to know that our Caribbean partners really believe in the Jamaica Constabulary Force and our capabilities,” said McBean.

“Just recently, we had a team from the Central Committee. They were part of the Caribbean Federation of Police Welfare Associations Conference. They played a huge role in that conference. I want to use this opportunity to recognise our police officers in the Caribbean. Thank you for recognising us here in Jamaica as we look forward to embracing you in a transformational way and continuing the partnership with unity,” McBean added.

Both Duncan and McBean thanked the security minister for his support and the investment the Government has made in the JCF. They also thanked Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake for his leadership and support.

The two-day conference was held at Princess Grand Jamaica Hotel in Green Island, Hanover, under the theme ‘Embracing Transformation through Partnership and Unity’.