PCOA Commends JCF for Responsiveness in Addressing Complaints

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA), Otarah Byfield Nugent, is commending the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) for its responsiveness in addressing complaints received from members of the public.

Mrs. Byfield Nugent told JIS News that the PCOA has established a system through which complaints are assigned to an officer who liaises with the relevant personnel within the JCF to ensure that matters are followed up until they are resolved.

The complaints are collected through its ‘Complaints Portal’, which can be found on the PCOA’s website.

“I will say that I am very pleased with the responsiveness of the JCF. Now we have an officer that is assigned to look and to address those complaints. What we do, we try to respond within a day or two once we see the complaints,” she told JIS News recently.

She said the Authority conducts weekly follow-ups with both the JCF and complainants, noting that the system has been working well.

“That officer liaises with the specific person within the JCF based on the nature of the report and they respond accordingly. Every week we try to get a follow-up on the matter until it has been resolved,” Mrs. Byfield Nugent said.

She noted, however, that the time taken to resolve a complaint depends on its nature and complexity.

“The nature of the complaint will determine how long that matter is resolved or addressed. Some things are more technical than others. But what I will say is that the JCF is very responsive because we have to rely on them to do the necessary investigations and to get a solution to those complaints,” the CEO said.

Among the matters brought to the attention of the PCOA are delays in obtaining police accident reports, complaints concerning police conduct on the roads and noise nuisance.

“People having problems getting their accident reports on time, you know, that is a big one. There have been a few about abuses and police conduct on the road – not many. A lot of them has to do with noise nuisance, and so we have had to intervene,” she said.

Mrs. Byfield Nugent said the Authority has also facilitated meetings involving citizens and persons responsible for noise disturbances, with the JCF being receptive to resolving such matters through dialogue.

“The JCF has always been amenable to having meetings between the citizens and the persons causing the noise, and so we try to meet halfway in terms of that,” she said.

The CEO also highlighted the positive feedback received by the PCOA in relation to the handling of complaints, particularly the professionalism and follow-up provided to members of the public.

“What I can say is that the level of professionalism that the PCOA provides when we get that complaint, the level of enthusiasm that is put out in terms of the officer that is assigned to that work, we have received several commendations from people; several,” Mrs. Byfield Nugent said.