Remembering Detective Inspector Fowler

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I write to extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the late Detective Inspector Warren Fowler of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. In moments like this, words feel small, but they are all we have to offer.

Detective Inspector Fowler gave many years of his life to the Force, and he did so with distinction, probity and professionalism. Those qualities are not always easy to find in any institution, and they deserve to be named and honoured while we still have the chance.

By every account, he was a senior officer of impeccable performance. He was highly respected across the JCF, and that kind of respect is earned slowly, through consistent conduct and not through rank alone.

He was also a major asset to the Specialised Operations Branch, an elite and specially vetted unit within the Force. To be trusted in that environment is no small thing, and he excelled there to the point where he was entrusted with even greater responsibility.

That responsibility took him to the Fraud Squad and the Financial Investigations Division, where the work is painstaking and rarely applauded. Financial crime eats away at our society quietly, and it takes patient, honest officers to pursue it without fear or favour.

Too often we hear only the criticism of the constabulary, and sometimes it is deserved. Yet, we must also pause to recognise the many men and women who serve faithfully, away from the headlines, and who carry the burden of keeping this country safe.

Detective Inspector Fowler collapsed while doing the work he had dedicated his life to, and that reality should remind us of the toll this profession takes. Long hours, constant pressure and the weight of difficult cases affect our officers in ways the public seldom sees.

I hope the Force and the government will continue to look closely at the welfare and wellbeing of the officers, so that their health and their families are never an afterthought. They give so much of themselves to us, and we owe them care in return.

Rest in peace, Detective Inspector Fowler. Well done, good and faithful servant, and thank you for your service to Jamaica.

ROBERT DALLEY