A man of the people - Top cop prides himself on family, community and positivity

"It's in my blood! My father was a serving member and I have an aunt and uncle who are current serving members," declared 33-year-old Corporal Stokely Fagan, his face decorated with a loud smile while clutching his trophy.

A member of the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), Fagan was named LASCO Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Police Officer of the Year 2017-2018 at the annual awards luncheon at The Jamaica Pegasus on Monday.

A native son of Bay Farm Villa in Kingston, the devoted husband and father to three sons enlisted in the JCF in 2011 shortly after the loss of his 'superhero' to illness.

"Apart from God and His word, my father was my biggest inspiration. My mother was always present, but I take my hat off to my father. He did 10 years in the force and he reiterated that I needed to live better than he did, that I must strive for excellence and perhaps, most importantly, that I needed to be a good father to my children," the Kingston College graduate told The Gleaner.

The holder of a bachelor of arts degree in history and political science, Fagan toyed with the idea of teaching in his formative years, but was quick to voice that his services in the force was not a deviation but merely the work of the supreme being, steering him towards greater opportunities.

As the Gleaner team toured the Kingston community that Fagan has called home since birth, persons shared in the delight with the man of the moment, offering the heartiest of congratulations while some beamed brightly from a distance, a word of praise not needed for one who has held his community in the highest regard.

"Persons term it an inner-city, but I dispel such stereotyping because they're a lot of hard-working, productive persons in my community. It's just that the negatives committed by a handful tend to dim the positive. My vision for Bay Farm is for the youngsters to find their true selves and not get lost in the hype, as it's an illusion. They're to look to progress, assess their age as against their accomplishments because I want them to elevate themselves beyond the community."

... 'This award is for everyone striving for positivity'

TrudyAnn Fagan, who has been married to Stokely Fagan for three years but has known him for more than a decade, described her husband as an exemplary human being, not just a 'top cop'.

"I don't see any obstacle stopping him from holding the highest office (commissioner) or even possibly transitioning outside the force. He's a great father, a dedicated husband, and just a lover of all people, and I don't think anyone is more deserving."

"Stokely a di man!" "Good job youth," "A we and him deh ya everyday; him always encourage we", were the utterances ascribed to the newly minted top cop.

His thoughts about the recognition taking on a more subtle tone: "This award is for everyone striving for positivity. The country is filled with negativity but these positive moments are what we should reinforce and allow ourselves to gravitate towards, they may look few but they are many and we must seize them."