ST JAMES, Jamaica – Jamaicans are being called on to show a greater level of appreciation to the brave men and women who make up the nation’s police force.

Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Zavia Mayne, in making the call said he knows first-hand “the incredible sacrifices that the members of our law-enforcement agencies make every day to keep our communities safe”.

He noted that policemen and policewomen risk life and limb daily to ensure that public order is maintained in the face of crime and violence.

“When a police officer leaves his house in the morning… there is no guarantee that that officer is going to make it back home. That’s the nature of the work that you do,” he pointed out.

“The fact is that nobody really can price the work that police officers do because, day after day, you put your life in service of this country to make communities and the citizens of this country safe, and for that we owe you a debt of gratitude,” Mayne added.

He was addressing the Annual Awards Banquet of the Westmoreland Police Civic Committee and the Westmoreland Division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) held at the Sean Lavery Faith Hall in Savanna-la-Mar on Saturday.

The National Security State Minister said the Government recognises and values the work of law enforcement, noting that the Administration has made the largest investment in the national security forces, to date, in the areas of infrastructure, technology, mobility and training.

He noted that in Westmoreland, ground has been broken for the construction of a new police station in Little London as part of the Ministry’s Project Rebuild, Overhaul, and Construct (ROC) initiative, which aims at transforming police stations islandwide into modern and citizen-friendly workspaces.

“We also continue to make the investment in technology [because] criminals are getting sophisticated. They are making the investment in the necessary technology to enable them to discharge what they are about.

“We recognise, as a Government, that we have to make technological improvements in our police force to ensure that they are able to match what the criminals are coming with,” Mayne said.

– JIS