Holness urges accountable policing at JCF command course graduation

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has urged emerging police leaders to make public trust, discipline and respect for life central to the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s ongoing transformation. He was speaking at the National Police College of Jamaica in St. Catherine during the graduation of the 91st cohort of the Staff and Junior Command Course.

The ceremony brought together JCF personnel and regional law-enforcement participants from the Turks and Caicos Islands and the British Virgin Islands. Course officials said training began on March 2, 2026 and ended on May 22, with 35 participants completing 12 weeks of hybrid instruction.

The cohort included 27 middle managers from the JCF, six members of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, and two from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force. Participants studied leadership, police administration, intelligence, investigations, critical incident management, communication, change management and operational planning.

Holness used the occasion to address public concern following the death of Latoya Bulgin of St. James in a police-involved shooting. He extended condolences to her family and said he welcomed the interdiction of the officer involved, while noting that an independent investigative process was under way.

The Prime Minister said Jamaica must maintain a police service that can confront armed gangs and organised crime while also treating citizens with dignity. He said the Government has increased investment in national security, including recruitment, training, equipment, intelligence and technology, and stated that the JCF has reached its full establishment of 14,000 officers.

Holness also pointed to plans for broader camera coverage across policing, including body-worn cameras, cameras in patrol vehicles, CCTV networks and command-centre systems. He said the rollout would take time because training, connectivity, storage and evidentiary safeguards must be properly developed.

ACP Merrick Watson, head of the National Police College, told the graduates that Caribbean policing now demands leaders who can think clearly, act firmly and remain humane. Parish Judge Quesa Grant Price also encouraged the cohort to become transformational leaders who build trust, strengthen institutions and guide others with integrity.

The top awards went to Inspector Kesha Griffiths for highest marks, Detective Inspector Ulette Lewis for best oral presentation, and Detective Inspector Joseph Gray for best all-round performance.