Manchester Gets New Distrist Constables

Six municipal police officers of the Manchester Parish Council were on Tuesday (Nov. 24), sworn in as District Constables (DC) to support the work of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) at the community level.
The newly appointed DCs, comprising five males and one female, took the oath of office during a ceremony held in the Parish Council chambers in Mandeville, which was presided over by Justice of the Peace, Arti Phillips.
Six other municipal officers will be sworn in as DCs within the next few months.
Superintendent in charge of the Manchester Police Division, Howard Francis, charged the new appointees to use their additional powers for the betterment of the municipality and the parish of Manchester.
He stressed the importance of high levels of integrity, discipline, deportment, courtesy and tact while dealing with the public.
“Please gentlemen and lady, be very careful; be servants of the people, not masters,” he exhorted them, while pledging the full support of the JCF as long as they carried out their tasks within the law.
Mayor of Mandeville, Councillor Brenda Ramsay, cautioned the appointees to carry out their additional duties wisely and professionally, reminding them that “a soft answer turneth away wrath.”
JP Phillips also encouraged them to do all they can to be better citizens and to make a greater impact with the new powers, with which they have been invested.
District Constables, also known as rural police, are concerned with community patrolling and policing in order to minimise the incidence of crime.
District Constables normally reside in the community that forms part of their area of responsibility. They undergo four to six weeks of basic training at the Police Academy in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine in areas such as law and police duties; community policing; use and care of firearms; defence tactics and drill.