Secondary-School Students in Area 4 Invited to Participate in TOPS Poster Competition

The Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA) is inviting secondary school students in Area 4 to participate in its annual Transforming Our Police Service (TOPS) poster competition.

Area 4 comprises St. Andrew Central, St. Andrew South, Kingston Eastern, Kingston Central and Kingston Western police divisions.
The competition is aimed at encouraging young people to explore positive police-citizen relationships through art.

Speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank on September 10, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the PCOA, Otarah Byfield-Nugent, said the competition continues to be an important part of the Authority’s efforts to engage young people in the conversation about policing and positive relationships with citizens.

“For TOPS, our secondary school poster competition is a very innovative and creative way to get the dialogue going,” she said.
She is encouraging eligible students to enter the competition, noting that the application process is available on the PCOA’s website.

“Students who are willing to participate or want to participate again, the process is listed on our website. You can go to our website, www.pcoa.gov.jm. You’ll see our forms. There are entry forms. You fill them out and you can also upload your work to our website,” she said.

The deadline for submissions is October 21, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.

She noted that students from secondary schools located within Area 4, such as Dunoon High, Camperdown High, Kingston High, Kingston College, St. Andrew High for Girls and Holy Childhood are among those eligible.

“We are allowing three entries per school, so we are hoping to increase the number of entries and the number of students participating this year, hoping to get at least 40 entries,” she said.

Mrs. Byfield-Nugent said the PCOA will be visiting schools to sensitise students and art teachers about the competition and its objectives.

“What it seeks to do is for students to demonstrate, through art, what a force for good should look like to them. Students from grade seven through to grade 13 are eligible to participate,” she said.

Mrs. Byfield-Nugent said the top-six posters will be recognised, and the winning artwork will be used in the Authority’s signature calendars and early-childhood education colouring book.

She noted that the competition will also offer cash prizes, computer gadgets and other prizes, while teachers who support participating students will also be recognised.

“We have cash prizes, computer gadgets, all sorts of lovely goodies,” Mrs. Byfield-Nugent said.

She noted that last year’s winner received $100,000 in cash, a new Chromebook and other prizes.

Mrs. Byfield-Nugent said the PCOA is seeking to build on last year’s participation and is encouraging more schools and students to become involved.

“I want to say a special thank you to Jamaica National who has committed $50,000 to the art department of the winning students, so we continue to recognise the top six, but one, two, three, they will get cash awards,” she said.