Dennie Quill, Contributor
THE ANNOUNCEMENT that new recruits seeking to join the Jamaica Consta-bulary Force (JCF) are to undergo more rigorous testing including polygraphs, seems to be a step in the right direction as the country tries to beef up the ranks at a time of growing public-safety concerns.
I might add that this stringency should also be applied to potential recruits into the Island Special Constabulary Force and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), although the JDF has been able to attract a higher calibre of recruit into their officer corps and this explains why this branch of the security forces has remained largely professional.
I submit that a transparent recruitment process will go a far way in producing the best results and prevent misfits from finding their way into the security apparatus.
GOOD MORAL CHARACTER
Recently I was browsing through a newspaper from our sister territory Trinidad and Tobago, and the advertisement that held my attention was one which carried photographs of persons who had applied to join the police force. Members of the public were invited to submit any relevant information about these applicants.
Apart from those motivated by malice, I thought this is a great idea to get independent confirmation about the character of persons who would be signing on to become protectors of the people.
One of the objectives of the process should be to identify persons of good moral character.
Administrators are often reluctant to borrow ideas but this is one instance where I believe we could benefit from using someone else's idea. We could go further and post the details of these applicants on the JCF's website.
The police officer is the most visible service provider in the community, therefore, residents have a stake in ensuring that only the right persons get into the job. It should not just be left up to the members of the Police Services Commission.
The JCF has a difficult job to overcome the negative perceptions of police officers being corrupt and 'licky licky'.
Additionally, there is the issue of low pay and incentives and poor conditions of work. Until these key problems - conditions of work, including pay, incentives, promotion and housing - are tackled it is unlikely that the force will be able to attract quality recruits.
The lowly recruit cannot hope to get the mouth-watering incentives of the 'fat cats' in the force, but unless some moves are made to make conditions better, the most sophisticated marketing and recruitment campaign will fail. This explains why many ambitious plans for growth of the JCF have only resulted in a lowering of standards in order to augment the numbers.
Although policemen and women undergo 32 weeks mandatory training and do not qualify until after a two-year probationary period, it seems there is some lacking in their training.
TRAINING
How to train policemen and women to make smart decisions in real-life situations should be at the top of the curriculum.
On Tuesday afternoon, there was an accident at the busy Oxford Road/Half-Way Tree Road intersection in the capital. The policemen on the scene of the accident appeared as bewildered as the scores of motorists who were caught in the resultant traffic jam.
Chaos reigned supreme as onlookers crowded the police vehicle where it appears one of the victims was seated. The policemen were on their cellphones, maybe seeking reinforcement, and the motorists were left to fight their way through.
Surely there must be some basic rules for managing traffic in such circumstances - like attending to the injured, trying to clear the roadway and ensuring continued flow of traffic.
I support the Government in this latest formula for improving the quality of police recruit but urge the powers that be to take another look at conditions of work and service benefits.
Dennie Quill, a veteran journalist, may be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com.
