MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Even as 12 members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) assigned here were on Monday recognised for their service by the Mandeville Police Civic Committee, security leaders boasted that the continued reduction in crime is set to attract investments.

Head of the police’s Area Three, Assistant Commissioner of Police Calvin Allen, said Manchester is shaping up to be among the safest parishes, with a major reduction in serious crimes, including murders.

“We will never relent in our pursuit of a safer and a more orderly Manchester. Let me commend the acting commander Luhas Daniels, who is holding very well for Superintendent Carey Duncan. Manchester right now is boasting a 55 per cent reduction in murder,” he said during the top cop awards function at the Badminton Club in Ingleside.

Allen, who also has command over St Elizabeth and Clarendon, said Area Three is boasting a 56 per cent reduction in murders.

“Once we have a safer society as you are seeing now, it naturally makes for a more attractive country and what that breathes is investment both locally and abroad, and where there is greater investment there is greater opportunity for employment. Where there is greater opportunity for employment you have fewer idle hands,” he added.

He commended the 12 top cops who were awarded for the 2024 to 2025 period, namely constables Sanasha Brown-Wilson, Tameisha Barnes, Jahmani Mitchell, Kevin McDonald, Garth Chambers, Fabian Lewis, Shana Kay Thomas, and Roshecia Gooden; corporals Kemar Brooks, Fabian Brown, and Camesha Elliott Andrade; and Detective Sergeant Althea Hibbert-Lawson.

Brooks and Andrade were recently promoted.

Allen said the police will continue to go above and beyond in service.

“These results that we are seeing now in Manchester, we are committed to making it get better… you can count on us, we will never sleep at the wheels,” he said.

Meanwhile, acting commander of the Manchester police Deputy Superintendent Luhas Daniels commended the organisers of the awards ceremony.

“The Mandeville Police Civic Committee has long stood as a shining example of what it means to promote trust, mutual respect, and partnership between enforcement and the people we serve. Through your vision and action you have reminded us that safety, justice, and community development are not the responsibility of one group, but a shared vision that belongs to all of us,” he said.

And president of the Manchester Neighbourhood Watch Council Verna Manning also commended the civic group.

“They have been doing a sterling job over the years…” she said. “The neighbourhood watch works in conjunction with the [committee], although we are the watchers trying to maintain the peace in seeking to maintain community safety and security.”

She also implored other Jamaicans to safeguard their communities.

“Each individual needs to realise that until we start, and if we have already started, continue to contribute to the development of our country no matter what field we are in, even if we are retired,” she said.