PCOA Urges Citizens In Area 2 To Participate In Online Survey

KINGSTON, October 11 (JIS):

The Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA) is urging citizens within the Area 2 Police Division to participate in its online survey.

This survey forms part of the Transforming Our Police Service (TOPS) Competition, whereby feedback from the public assists in determining the winner of the Top Customer Service Division Award.

Speaking at a JIS Think Tank recently, Senior Director of Inspection and Monitoring at the PCOA, Andrew Beaumont, indicated that the survey provides citizens in Area 2, which comprises the parishes of St. Ann, St. Mary and Portland, with the chance to give their input if they have not been interviewed face to face.

“For this year, we are in Area 2 and we are asking the citizens of St Ann, St. Mary and Portland to get on our website, www.pcoa.gov.jm, and do the survey, so we can get a good feedback of what the police services in Area 2 are like,” Mr. Beaumont said.

“We have some exciting prizes, and we are excited to give these prizes out, but we cannot do it without the input of the citizens of Area 2. There are about 10 to 13 questions, and it takes about five minutes to be done,” he said.

In addition, Mr. Beaumont noted that the PCOA is aiming to collect responses from at least 1,000 participants in Area 2 to give the oversight authority a good picture of the service being offered by the police in the division.

The Senior Director also told JIS News that the PCOA is still conducting face-to-face interviews with citizens, even though there is the option to complete the survey online.

“We still have a team going out face-to-face because, as you would probably realise, in a number of these parts it is very rural and connectivity becomes a problem. What we have found is that people seem to be more comfortable in doing the face-to- face,” Mr. Beaumont said.

The TOPS online survey was first launched in 2021, in partnership with the Ministry of National Security.  Results from the survey are also shared with the JCF High Command.

Developed in 2019, the TOPS programme is aimed at fostering greater conformity with prescribed Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) policies as well as raising morale among police personnel.