Deadline for Submission of Entries for TOPS Poster Competition Extended to Oct. 23

The deadline for submission of entries to the Transforming Our Police Service (TOPS) Poster Competition has been extended to October 23.

The poster competition for secondary schools was introduced last year as part of the Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA) TOPS Awards.

Students from the Area 2 Police divisions (St. Ann, St. Mary, Portland) are asked to submit posters under the theme #AForce4good: A People Driven Transformation.

Speaking at a JIS Think Tank on October 3, Chief Executive Officer of the PCOA, Otarah Byfield Nugent, explained that the deadline was extended to provide the approximately 24 public and private high schools additional time to submit their work.

“We are calling all the secondary schools in Area 2 to participate in our secondary poster competition, which is now aligned with our award. We are asking our high-schoolers to tell us how they see policing based on the theme. What does that look like to you? How does that look like in an image?” she said.

Students can get the rules on the competition on the PCOA website.

“Go to our website for the rules for the competition, and we have decided to extend the deadline to October 23 at 3:00 p.m. Upload your posters to our website, www.pcoa.gov.jm. This year, we have decided to increase the number of entries per high school, so we have moved from two to three, so you can send in your entries,” she encouraged.

Mrs. Byfield Nugent said that thanks to their sponsors, the prizes are even more attractive this year, with cash awards being given to the winner and first and second runners-up.

“First-place winner will be getting $100,000 and the assistant teacher will get $50,000; second place $60,000 and the assistant teacher, $30,000; and the third place $40,000 and the assistant teacher, $20,000,” she added.

Other prizes include gift vouchers, gift baskets and goodie bags.

Winners will be announced during a ceremony on November 27 during Police Week, in St. Ann.

Now in its second year, the poster competition was created to allow young people the opportunity to express, through art, how they feel about the police and what their relationship with citizens should look like.