THE 2025 ‘Police of the Year’ Constable Shantel C Powell has described her award as a “signal of what disciplined service can achieve.”

Powell was on Wednesday named the LASCO and Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) 2025 Chairman’s Award recipient, taking over from last year’s honouree, Corporal Junior Thompson, also of Area 5.

As the 2025–2026 Chairman’s Award recipient, Powell received a cash prize of $175,000, a LASCO gift basket, and the winning trophy. The first and second runners-up, Corporal Rojehn Holt and Corporal Stephen Smith, received $125,000 and $100,000, respectively, while the fourth, fifth, and sixth-place winners each received $75,000 along with LASCO gift baskets.

In a surprise announcement, Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake declared that each of the six finalists will be promoted one rank up — an unexpected reward that brought the audience to its feet.

This year’s LASCO, JCF Saluting Our Heroes Awards arrives later than planned due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28.

For Powell, that delay was layered with emotion. The storm took her back to 2004 when, as a nine-year-old child in Clarendon, Hurricane Ivan ravaged her family home and sent them into a shelter at Coffee Piece Primary School. That experience, Powell shared, was “a lesson on resilience” that she has carried into policing.

As one of the top six finalists, Powell admitted there were moments when she wondered whether an awards ceremony would even be possible this year. The wait, stretching from the original October 24 ceremony date to December 17 – made her reflect on what service means in crisis.

“The strength of our people is forged through adversity, and as Jamaicans it would take more than Melissa to obliterate us,” Powell said.

“This awards ceremony was worth the wait. To receive a promotion with the win is amazing, and I now understand my shoulders are heavy and it comes with responsibility to empower more people. I feel inspired to serve. Winning the award means more work, a greater platform for influence, especially for my project which is REP — ‘Reform, Empower, and Position for Peace’ — targeting troubled high school students who, through participation, will re-emerge as peacemakers in their communities. It’s not just a win for me, but for my area, my division and the entire JCF,” Powell said.

She said she has looked to the partnership between LASCO, the LASCO Chin Foundation, and the JCF as a model — demonstrating how presence, compassion, and collaboration can unite stakeholders around a single goal.

“Jamaica is a rock in the ocean, but no man is an island, no man stands alone. One hand can’t clap, one hand washes the other. When presence is coupled with effort and packaged in love, the outcomes are unimaginable. I look forward to working with the LASCO Chin Foundation on my initiative as we are big on community engagement,” added Powell

With the storm behind and recovery underway, the now Corporal Powell said she intends to continue serving where the needs are greatest — not only through policing, but through mentorship, mental-wellness advocacy, community partnership and the written word.

“This was never just a competition. It is a call to be the best of self, representing the standards of the Jamaica Constabulary Force — a Force for Good. For every level of greatness to be unlocked, there is a season of obscurity to be endured. Obscurity is not a waste if it is spent serving and impacting others. We rise together,” Powell reflected.

Receiving the Chairman’s Award, she added, is not a prize handed to an individual in isolation but a signal of what disciplined service can achieve.

Powell expressed gratitude to her Area 5 leadership, her St Catherine North colleagues, her Community Safety and Security Unit family, and her Batch 134 ‘squaddies’, along with her sister, niece, church community, and “Powellful Empowerment Fighters”, promising to honour them all in her storytelling.

Highlighting the calibre of candidates and the expectations of the programme, Professor Rosalea Hamilton, CEO of the LASCO Chin Foundation, said “The award is grounded in one core expectation — that each candidate brings the best version of themselves to the fore. Constable Powell has clearly demonstrated that foundation, supported by strong divisional leadership and a culture in Area 5 that embraces preparation, celebration and excellence. The candidates were well-guided throughout the selection process, and every year the standard rises — the projects get more innovative, and the impact deepens. We encourage this progress and look forward to the work ahead.”