Public Invited to Take Part in People’s Choice Award Component of TOPS Competition

The Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA) is inviting members of the public to participate in the People’s Choice Award component of the Transforming Our Police Service (TOPS) competition.

This year, the TOPS competition will be held in Area 4, which comprises St. Andrew Central, St. Andrew South, Kingston Eastern, Kingston Central and Kingston Western police divisions.

Chief Executive Officer of the PCOA, Otarah Byfield Nugent, said the award provides an opportunity for citizens to have a direct say in recognising a police station that has made a positive impact in its community.

“The People’s Choice Award involves people who live or work or have engagement or interactions with police officers or stations in Area 4 and would like to vote for that station that has had a positive impact on you or your community,” she said.

Mrs. Byfield Nugent, while speaking recently at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank, encouraged members of the public who have had positive interactions with the police in Area 4 to participate in the online voting process.

“If you have had a positive interaction, if you have had that kind of impact that you want from the police service, go out and vote for your specific station because it tells a story of what the service is like out there and we want to know about it,” she said.

Members of the public can visit the PCOA website at www.pcoa.gov.jm to view the participating stations and select their preferred station.

Voting is limited to one vote per device, and the station receiving the most votes will receive the People’s Choice Award.

Mrs. Byfield Nugent is also encouraging police officers to promote participation among residents in their respective communities.

“I also want to appeal to the different officers of the respective stations in the area or in the respective divisions to lobby also the people in your community to vote for you,” she said.

She noted that technology is being used to make participation easier, with each station expected to display a poster containing a QR code that will take users directly to the voting section of the website.

The deadline for voting is October 23, 2026.

For the second time since the launch of the competition in 2025, communities get the chance to vote via the PCOA website for their favourite station.

A total of 1,500 residents voted last year in the Area 5 TOPS Competition, with Guanaboa Vale

Station in the St. Catherine North Division emerging the inaugural winner with the most votes.