Police Commissioner Commends ISCF

Commissioner of Police, Lucius Thomas has commended members of the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) for carrying out their duties in an efficient and effective way in the interest of national security.
“The Island Special Constabulary Force has been very instrumental in executing a mandate of enforcement of laws and regulations against activities such as unauthorized vending, illegal mining, praedial larceny and violation of the Road Traffic Act,” Commissioner Thomas said.
He was speaking at the 21st Joint Annual Conference of the Island Special Constabulary Force recently, at the Runaway Bay HEART Hotel and Training Institute in St. Ann. The Commissioner added, “it is worthy to note that law enforcement activities by your members last year, resulted in a total of 118,093 tickets being issued for various road traffic offences and that was a tremendous job”.
Highlighting the theme of the Conference, ‘Restoring Confidence and Public Order in Trying Times’, he said the country had been going through a phase of disorder, while in a process of transformation.
“Such transformation can only be accelerated through a coordinated approach by all law enforcement agencies, working in tandem with Jamaicans of good will to restore law and order to our beautiful country,” he assured.
Also attending the conference was Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips, who pointed out that the mandate of the ISCF had been substantially changed to enhance their capacity for the maintenance of public order.
“We are far advanced towards expanding the scope and function of the ISCF, and to assign it the lead role in maintaining public order. Legislative amendments are being put in place to effect this and the ISCF will now incorporate the functions of other quasi-policing and auxiliary bodies such as the traffic wardens, environmental wardens and the municipal police in our main towns and cities,” Dr. Phillips informed.
He further mentioned that important new responsibilities of the ISCF would include law enforcement and prohibition against the cutting down of trees, fishing of scarce species out of season, illegal sale of petroleum, illegal operation of taxis and unlawful conduct at public events.
“Having defined a new role for the ISCF, this government is moving to provide the tools and training to facilitate the effectiveness of their new mandate.
We are not only moving to modernise operations within the policing establishment, but we are committed and moving to modernize the law enforcement apparatus in Jamaica,” the National Security Minister said.
He congratulated the members of the ISCF for their continued service and sacrifice and urged them not to be complacent but to be relentless in the fight against the forces of criminality, disorder and mayhem.