Brown’s Hall Police Station Named JCF Area Five’s Top Performer In 2025 By PCOA

The Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA) has named Brown’s Hall Police Station in St. Catherine North the top-performing station in Area Five, standing out from 39 stations across the division.

The prestigious award was presented to the station during the PCOA’s annual Transforming Our Police Service (TOPS) Competition awards ceremony for 2025, held on Thursday (December 18) at the National Police College in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine.

Other awardees included Guanaboa Vale Police Station, which received both the newly introduced People’s Choice Award and the PCOA Legacy Award.

St. Andrew North was named the top division, while Spanish Town Police Station received the award for Top Prisoners in Custody (PIC) Station.

The winning stations were presented with cash prizes ranging from $100,000 to $200,000, along with trophies, gift baskets, vouchers and other awards.

Established in 2019, the Competition is a flagship initiative of the PCOA, designed to strengthen adherence to Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) policies while enhancing morale among police personnel.

Delivering the keynote address, State Minister in the Ministry of National Security and Peace, Hon. Juliet Cuthbert Flynn, underscored that the TOPS awards celebrate the dedication, courage, and transformative spirit of Jamaica’s law-enforcement officers, who remain committed to building a safer, more inclusive, and resilient nation.

“Standing here and looking at the proud faces of our committed lawmen and women who protect, serve and support, I see the proof that, together, we stand as one in the spirit of service and also for nation-building,” she stated.

Mrs. Cuthbert Flynn noted that, since the initiative’s inception, the TOPS competition has functioned as a strategic mechanism to strengthen alignment with JCF policies, while advancing the PCOA’s mission of fostering community-centred policing.

She emphasised that the awards ceremony serves as a powerful symbol of the commitment to bridging the divide between law enforcement and the citizenry.

Referencing the recent passage of Hurricane Melissa and the critical role played by police officers in its immediate aftermath, the State Minister commended them for their continued service to the nation.

“We saw you out there during Hurricane Melissa, clearing roadways and just helping our citizens. From rescuing families [to] delivering babies, our officers dedicate themselves to their fellow citizens and face every kind of weather in the name of service. Awardees, you are more than police officers, you are catalysts of hope and agents of transformation,” Mrs. Cuthbert Flynn stated.

In his remarks, Area Five Commanding Officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Christopher Phillips, emphasised that the competition was never intended to be a simple exercise in compliance or comparison among stations or divisions.

“It is a deliberate and strategic mechanism that was designed to strengthen accountability, promote continued excellence… to be a catalyst for improvement, accountability, and advance continuous transformation for the Jamaica Constabulary Force,” he maintained.

ACP Phillips noted that the assessments conducted by the PCOA throughout the competition have yielded clear, evidence-based insights into the performance of stations across Area Five, highlighting both improved efficiencies and areas requiring strategic focus to strengthen operational readiness.

He indicated that the areas assessed by the PCOA include records management, station administration, station facilities, the management of prisoners in custody, and customer service.

ACP Phillips said the exceptional performance of the teams across Area Five reflects the strong leadership and discipline demonstrated by officers within the divisions.

“I commend the divisional commanders, zone and station commanders, supervisors, and every staff member, to include the civilian staff, for their contribution to this accomplishment,” he stated.