National Police College of Jamaica Graduation Ceremony, Inspector Development Course 2024
Keynote Address
By
The Most Honourable Andrew Holness ON, PC, MP, DLP
Prime Minister of Jamaica
At the
National Police College of Jamaica Graduation Ceremony,
Inspector Development Course 2024
On
November 12, 2024
_______________________________________
I will just say you look good. Yes, you do look good and you will permit me if I get a selfie with you. People, quality, technology…
This is a moment to save for posterity. You may not realize that you are a part of history, but you are. Jamaica has struggled long and hard to get to this point to say that we can witness the transformation of the JCF. It’s a long struggle. It started from the ’90s when we thought that the only way to do it would be to import foreign officers into our ranks. We did get some benefits from that. We struggled with a culture that became well-established and difficult to uproot. We struggled with resources. We struggled with keeping people in the force, the attrition was very high. Do you recall those days?
My conversation with the commissioner just a while ago is that you are now slightly above your establishment of 14,000 and now you’re recruiting more persons than those who leave the force. The JCF is a place where people want to stay. The transformation is happening. The challenge, of course, is that whilst it is happening internally, the real transformation is when the people you serve all by unified acclaim say that the force has transformed but transformation, as you know, it’s a process, it takes time. It’s not going to happen overnight with the snap of a finger. It takes a lot of planning. It takes quite a bit of reinforcement of the new rules, and regulations and policies that we have put in place. Transformation, at the end of it, you will see a difference.
When I was at the Ministry of Education, as the Minister of Education, we too had the vision to transform education. And we usually ask ourselves, what does transformation mean? What is a transformed system? And I recall we had a consultant who advised us on the whole process of transformation and he said something that I’ll always take with me. He said that “transformation is the change from being a caterpillar to a butterfly”. Is the caterpillar the same as the butterfly? Well, it’s the same being, but it’s not the same entity anymore and that is what we want to do with the JCF. Pardon the analogy, it’s not necessarily the same but we want to see real change in the JCF. And just by looking at the cohort, it is clear to me that the JCF is going through this change of moving from being a caterpillar to a butterfly but you know that there is a process in between that change where the caterpillar gets into a cocoon and that is where all the biological changes take place. l,.Well, in a sense, the JCF is in this transition. It’s in the process, it’s on that journey of transitioning. It’s not there yet fully but you’re moving steadily towards that process of transformation.
I’m very pleased to be presiding over this transformation as the Prime Minister of the country because this transformation can only happen with the government’s support. And it is not just wishful thinking where we have had previous administrations who have talked about this. We have many reports written about it, several. I can pull many reports about what we should do to transform the force but I really want Jamaicans to get to the point where they understand that anybody can give a good talk. Anyone can say anything. It’s wishful thinking unless you have the resources to put behind it and what this administration has done is to put the resources behind the JCF. We have put the resources in remuneration. We have put the resources into infrastructure, technology, quality, and people. In fact, if you look at our budget and what we have spent over the last nine years, it would eclipse several times over what was spent in the last 30 years so the point that I want you to make a part of your doctrine is that the government is committed to the transformation of the JCF. Not just talk but in substance.
This is more than a graduation, it is a testament to your perseverance, dedication and readiness to lead as inspectors. The largest cohort to date, 99 strong. And I was the one who asked the Commissioner why 99 and he said, we didn’t find the 100th, but that was very profound because this is not about numbers. It’s about who made the cut. 99 Strong, comprising both corporals and sergeants, demonstrates the JCF’s commitment to developing leaders who will inspire your teams to serve, protect, and reassure the people of Jamaica that you are a force for good.
The course was designed to enhance competencies critical to middle management and supervisory roles addressing essential competencies within the inspector rank. Through a curriculum that spans leadership, personal development, station management, and administration, public order, operations management, policies and procedures, and crime and criminal investigations, you are well prepared to lead with integrity and professionalism. This training is pivotal in the JCF’s transformation journey, which focuses on people, quality, and technology and this training underscores the people component that is fundamental to the organization’s progress. As inspectors, you will now stand as role models for officers who look to you for guidance in upholding the highest standards of the JCF. The responsibility is substantial, but I am confident that each and every one of you is ready, willing, and fully prepared to excel in this role.
The JCF’s motto, to serve, protect, and reassure, it’s more than just beautiful words put together. It’s your doctrine. It now defines you. It must be what you believe in. It is your call to action. As you step into this new chapter, you are encouraged to be active contributors to a renewed transformative vision of the JCF, one that strengthens national security, builds safer communities and enhances public trust in our law enforcement agencies. The journey of transformation within the JCF, as I’ve said, it is ongoing and each of you will be advancing this process of transformation.
The JCF of today is not the JCF of 10 years ago. It is evolving and so are the tools we deploy in the fight against crime and the strategies we develop in the fight against crime. And I want you to reflect on some of the things that we have done that are a part of the transformation that you would consider to be milestones on the journey of transformation. Project R.O.C, (Rebuild | Overhaul | Construct); we have revitalized the physical foundation of the JCF delivering 14 modernized citizen-friendly secure police stations with five more underway. These buildings represent our dedication to both officer welfare and public safety. We’re going to be building probably the most modern police station in the Caribbean and we’re doing that in Spanish Town. Ground has already been broken and work has started. It is going to be the most modern.
In the era of rapid technological change, the JCF has embraced new tools to improve connectivity and accountability upgrading to the P25 radio communication network, deploying body-worn cameras and there, let me pause a minute. The Government of Jamaica is committed to the deployment and use of body-worn cameras for the Jamaica Constabulary Force and indeed where necessary for the JDF. There is no conflict, there is no indecisiveness. It is something that we are doing and will continue to do.
There is a sense, however, that the implementation and deployment of technologies like body-worn cameras can be done with merely the snap of a finger. For us to deploy effectively, because we could always do for show, buy body-worn cameras and pin them on your uniforms but when you go to collect the footage there is nowhere to store it. There is no storage. Let’s say we store it locally, and there is no consistent management or a computer goes down, you lose all of that. For us to deploy cameras, it is not about the deployment of the camera. The camera is the least of the system of being able to capture real-time footage of police doing their duties.
First of all, we have to build a back end to store the data, we need to have a data centre. Then, we need to be able to connect the cameras to docks and docks to that data centre. There’s an entire infrastructure that has to be built with broadband connectivity to move the footage from the docks to a secure data centre. That is more than a billion dollars of investment that will have to be made which we have started. We have in procurement now over 200 million dollars for cameras. And we procured last time about 70 million dollars worth of cameras and we continue to procure so I want the country to be assured that the government is 100% committed to having body-worn cameras become a standard feature of the police officer’s kit but for it to be done, it does take serious planning.
Now, consider with everything that the government has to do, if we’re going to be spending billions of dollars on technology, we also have billions of dollars to spend on the roads that people complain about, the garbage to be collected so it can’t all be done all at once. You elect the government to make the decisions and the trade-offs, what you do now, what you do in the future, to get everything done. And I think that we have made the correct decision as to how we are moving ahead with the deployment of the technology not for show but for the real effective use of the technology because you can have cameras and they don’t help because you don’t have this entire ecosystem for it to be used and so we are building out that ecosystem.
And by the way, the same applies for the Jamaica Eye cameras. You can have cameras, but if they’re not connected to a C5 centre, meaning a joint intelligence operational centre where you can bring in all the feeds and properly analyze them, it makes no sense. And so, we are building out Jamaica Eye, we are procuring cameras but at the same time, you will know that we have procured a C5 centre. Meaning a command control communication centre where all of this feed from the cameras can be properly analyzed and used in intelligent ways. And you would also know that we are building out our broadband network because it is on that broadband network that the traffic from the cameras can travel to your C5 centre, which you will then be able to properly use as intelligence to guide your operations.
So again, I give the reassurance to the public that we are investing heavily in the technological improvements for the JCF as part of the transformational strategy but we are not just investing in technology for show. It’s not a computer on a desk that somebody doesn’t know how to use or the computer is not properly provisioned to do the job that we require of it. We have properly designed an ecosystem where everything works together. It is integrated and they are all communicating together, that is what we have been doing. It does cost quite a bit, but once the investment is there and the people know how to use it, you will begin to see massive improvements in our ability to deal with some of our crime problems. So again, the milestone that you should mark is the investments we are making in technology. I believe it would be two years ago or a year or so ago, the JCF put on their own display of all the technologies that you have and it was so impressive.
Another major milestone of the JCF is that the JCF is now ISO 9001 certified. The JCF is now aligned with international standards of quality management ensuring a consistent high level of service across all stations. Now, to become ISO 9001 certified it’s not a small deal. That’s a big deal and you should be proud that your organization has gotten this certification. I don’t believe there is another police force in the Caribbean that has that certification but I don’t believe there are many companies in Jamaica that have that certification either so it speaks volumes for the leadership and management of the JCF.
Improved mobility- Through our investments in vehicle procurement we now have greater accessibility, visibility, faster response time and better management of the fleet. There was a time when we would only procure cars. Now, the JCF does not merely procure cars, we procure the vehicle and the parts and we have our specific designs that we give to the suppliers. We want cars of a specific type so we are procuring a capability and that is where we are going to eventually be where we give the design for the car that we need for Jamaica’s circumstances and the supplier’s build to that capability.
And now, we have tracking capabilities on most of our cars so this business of the police car parked up at a bar, well it’s only going to be there if it’s on duty, assigned, and we know but not for any other duty. The JCF has come a long way so we know where our fleet is relative to where there might be an incident so we know how to direct the nearest mobile asset to the scene where it is needed. Our capabilities have improved and that is indeed a milestone. I’m not here saying that we have enough cars, we still get complaints that a station in some remote area doesn’t have enough cars or there is no car there. We still get those complaints but what is important to note is that we are building out and each budget we make greater allocations to get more.
The challenge that I have as Prime Minister when I hear the complaints being made, which complaints have to be made, people are frustrated and dissatisfied with service; that’s important but we need to do a better job to explain to people that changes have actually occurred. Things have actually changed and that it is not that it’s a negligent government not spending, it’s that it takes time. We have to have a budget, then we go through the design of what we need, then we go through procurement, and then the service actually has to be delivered.
So, between the time of the need identified to the time of the delivery of that need, there can be a lag and whilst you’re waiting, you’re not concerned about that lag. You want to get the service now but it’s important that we communicate such that frustration doesn’t lead to adverse decisions. That understanding of the challenges will inure to a better outlook and a better perspective from the public as to what is happening because the JCF’s mobility has improved significantly over the last 10 years. We need to communicate to the public that those areas that the transformation has not yet reached, that they will get the vehicle and their station will be repaired. There is now a system and a process and it is ongoing because the government has made the budgetary commitment to ensure that it gets done.
The JCF is in this process of transformation and you are agents of it and so you need to be able to communicate this to the people. And I say at this point and I’m going to raise a matter which might be delicate, because I have had reports of people complaining to policemen or complaining to persons in authority and the response would come, “You no see yuh government nah give we no car!” The silence is deafening. That is not an agent of transformation that says that. If you are true agents of transformation, you would be able to point out all the changes that have happened and the response would be an assurance and that’s what leadership is about. I think I’ve made the point.
The JCF has introduced new branches and portfolios such as the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB), the Community Safety and Security Branch (CSSB), and the Welfare Department. These additions strengthen our responsiveness, community focus, and overall effectiveness while also ensuring that we support and care for the dedicated men and women of the force who serve and protect and we have seen these investments pay off significantly. Major crimes continue to trend downwards. Murders, in particular, are down two years in a row. I want to pause there and make a few points.
Jamaica’s crime problem way exceeded the capabilities of our security forces. Just consider a police department like New York City would have thousands of investigators relative to the number of murders that they have. Consider Jamaica, we didn’t have enough investigators relative to the murders we have so one investigator in Jamaica could possibly have ten or fifteen cases to deal with, one investigator in New York may have one to five so the problem is way above our capabilities.
What do we do as a government? Two-pronged strategy. Strategy number one, attenuate the problem. Meaning, bring the problem down to the capability of the force which is why we use states of public emergency. If you look at what our sister country in the region has done, El Salvador, they use the SOE. They call it a State of Public Exception to bring down their murder rate to a level that their security forces could manage. We used a very light version of the SOEs to attenuate, to bring down the level of crime but we also had another strategy and that is to improve and increase the capability of the security forces. We have increased the number of policemen, I believe we were at one point about 11,000 and now we are just above 14,000; we have increased capabilities.
We have made massive investments in communication technology which has increased your ability to gather intelligence. We have invested heavily in training investigators and officers, which has, again, increased your capabilities. We have invested in the leadership of the force and all of that is paying dividends. I think there’s been a kind of misplaced analysis and diagnosis of Jamaica’s crime strategy. I don’t think people fully appreciate what it is that we have done. There is a view that we have relied on SOEs, absolutely not. We’ve just used that to ensure that the problem doesn’t escalate further beyond what we can control whilst we take the time to invest in the security forces so that what we call regular policing would be able to treat with the problem that we have.
Now, as it relates to regular policing and the problem that we have, there is the notion that Jamaica has a murder problem, a homicide problem. The truth is that if you were to take away murders related to gangs then our murder rate would be at or below the regional level. So what we really have is a problem with organized crime with gangs and so we are going to increase the capabilities of the JCF to treat with gangs and that’s what we’ve been doing. And that’s why when you had 300 gangs documented, now you’re down. Every time I speak, there’s a different figure so the last time I heard it was 178 moving from over 300. I’m saying all of this so that as the new middle management of the JCF that you understand what is the overall strategy.
Now, as we invest in degrading, eroding and eradicating the gangs, the JCF can’t have any of its members involved in gangs. None of the JCF members can be in any way, shape, or form associated with offering support, giving information, taking money from, or being friends with people who are in gangs. It must not happen and it requires a change in culture because unfortunately, over the last 30 or 40 years, there has been the infiltration of the police force by criminal organizations, many of them parading in ways to suggest that they are regular business people, they are friends, you go drink at his bar, you go have a talk; it must change in the JCF.
We must as the people who are protecting the country, separate ourselves in every way from the organized criminal gangs. It could be a school friend, you could have grown up with them in the community; separate yourselves from them. They mean us no good. They have been the bane of our existence for the last 40 years. All of them who pretend that they are dons or dads or supporting communities and keeping treats and helping people, at night they call up the daughter of the community member or call up the son and send him to go and rob and we have been friendly with many of them.
This batch of the new leadership of the JCF must make it a part of your doctrine, we don’t associate with criminals and gangsters and people who are involved in organized crimes. If you really want to see the transformation of Jamaica, get rid of the gangs and that is my message to you at your graduation. Impactful leadership, that’s what we want from you so with all the changes that we are making today, you can see that we are reshaping the JCF. We’re reshaping the JCF into an institution where people can trust it and people will have the highest respect for the organization and with all the investment that we’re making.
I had the occasion to attend a nine-night in my constituency recently. It was a young man who, there’s a new profession now called social media influencer so he’s a TikToker. He’s 19 years old and apparently very popular on TikTok. I won’t go into any details, unfortunate incident. I can only repeat what was in the press, that he was on a motorbike with another youngster and there was an accident involving the bike and a police car and he was hit off the bike and he died as a result of injuries sustained.
I went to visit the family and as I’ve said, the most difficult part of my job really in dealing with constituents would be when I have to go to a home to console a family when a loved one has died. And it is even more difficult when the loved one who has died, there was some state involvement in the death because ultimately I lead the executive branch of the state and I do bear some obligation to the citizens on this matter. So, it was very distressing but the upshot of it was, as a result of this, they had lost faith in the police. When they recounted how they were treated and how the state treated them, it’s really very distressing because remember they see themselves as your taxpayers. They are citizens, they pay your salary. And for somebody to say to them, give me your phone, take the phone, say “go ova deh suh”, it dehumanizes them as if they have no rights in their state.
So, if we’re really talking about transformation, that is where it is. If we’re really talking about getting the public on our side, that is where it is. How do we change this culture that has terribly infiltrated our police force as to how we treat citizens? They are human beings and when they are in distress and trauma, we have to train our police officers to understand this and to be able to respond in a way that is respectful, and meaningful and helpful. There is a family with youngsters who are going to school who are doing well, who are asking questions to their mother, why did my cousin die? It’s a nine year old and he’s trying to grapple with this death. Can you imagine whenever he sees the police now? It’s a totally different perspective when he’s overhearing the conversations in the family about the police.
So, we’re investing billions in the police but the transformation isn’t yet reaching the people so at your graduation, I’m not even going to ask the commissioner, I’m tasking you directly because you are the people who are going to make it happen. You are going to be in charge of the stations and the formations and the groupings. The only redemption in the situation was, one family member said, one of the khaki suit men came up and spoke to us.
I want you to lead, first of all, with respect. Respect the citizens. It’s a difficult job, I know. When you’re in the crowded towns and you have to deal with the taxi men and people who want to fight you off and don’t have any respect for authority, I understand that but hear what happened now, you are the authority figure and if you descend to that level, you give up your authority. You will always have power but authority is a process of agreement to submit to power and what you want is authority, that the citizens agree to submit to your power. Otherwise, you become a dictatorship which could be brutal. You have to remember that.
Not because you have on the uniform automatically means you have the authority. It’s how you conduct yourself and I have to stress it to this group because we have invested billions of dollars to get to this point and it cannot be wasted. The citizens must feel the transformation of the JCF. I want you to lead by example. You’re going to be in a situation where you are faced with the “squaddy” mentality, as squaddy this is what we all did, if bad things happen, when it’s my squaddy, we will find a way to get through it; if that continues, all the money we have spent will be wasted and the transformation will be wasted. You must be able to stand up as leaders and say, regardless of you and I were in the same training group, what happened is not right.
How many of you would be willing to do that? Is that now a part of the new doctrine of the JCF? I want you to embrace accountability. Accountability has several elements to it. The first of it is you must record what happens and I’m sure that is part of the doctrine of the JCF, that you document what happens. And secondly, the people who are responsible for what happens must be held to give an account for it. Sometimes no action is taken but the accountability process means that something has happened, explain what has happened. If sanctions are necessary, then sanctions will be applied so I want you to embrace that. I want you to empower your teams. As leaders, sometimes we want to do everything ourselves. Sometimes we fear the next man or woman and don’t give them any task lest they excel above us but that’s not true leadership. You do well when those you command do well.
I want you to engage with compassion. You have to be firm. Jamaica is a place where you have to be firm but that doesn’t mean you cannot have compassion. Conduct your duties with compassion, respect the people, preserve their dignity, help and that is how we will transform not just the JCF, but we will transform Jamaica land we love.
I’m very proud of you. I am satisfied that we have created leadership that will lead the force and that will reinforce the JCF as the force for good. Officers, I congratulate you on your own personal achievement in completing the course and I charge you to transform Jamaica.
God bless you all.