JCF to Showcase Technological Capability at Expo

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) will be showcasing its latest technologies and quality management systems at the inaugural ‘Transformations JCF – People, Quality and Technology (PQT) Expo”.

The event, which will be held at the National Arena in Kingston from May 11 to 14, will give members of the public an opportunity to see, up close, the crime-fighting capabilities of the police.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Dr. Kevin Blake, told JIS News that

the JCF wants people to feel confident that the Force is equipped to ensure their safety and security and at the same time signal to criminals that the JCF has the resources to go after them.

He noted that while persons are knowledgeable about the capabilities of law enforcement, they are not necessarily aware of the capacity of the JCF.

“We want to show them [criminals] that based on where we’re going and what we’re doing now, it is more likely that you will be held, you will be caught and the necessary evidence will be there to put you away,” he pointed out.

The Expo will also highlight the technology-enabled quality management reforms and transformation, which have been happening systematically over the past five to six years in the JCF.

DCP Blake, who has responsibility for Force Development and Logistics, made it clear that while the Expo will demonstrate the Force’s capabilities, it will not expose crime-fighting strategies, noting that “that is one thing that we will not tell you”.

“Whenever people say, ‘why doesn’t the JCF have people going undercover…’, if we have undercover people, you will not know,” he pointed out.

“We will come for you and you don’t know when we’re coming, but you will certainly know that we can find you,” he added.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Karina Powell-Hood, who is the JCF Staff Officer and co-chair of the Expo, told JIS News that the police see the event as an opportunity to strengthen communication with law-abiding citizens, build their confidence in the Force, and gain their support.

“We run the risk of not communicating and isolating the large majority of the country. We want the public to know that if they support us by giving us information, it will be handled confidentially,” she said.

“They know that when we get information, we process it in a particular way and we get what we need out of it. A part of what we want people to take away from the Expo is that level of confidence within us as an organisation and our capacity to deliver,” ACP Powell-Hood added.