Nation should pause to salute fallen officers – Rowe - Colleagues hail slain cops as special, full of love
Published:Tuesday | June 23, 2020 | 12:17 AMPaul Clarke/Gleaner Writer
JAMAICA POLICE Federation Chairman Sergeant Patrae Rowe is calling on the Government to pay tribute to the two officers who lost their lives in an early-morning operation in Horizon Park, St Catherine, earlier this month and to ensure their sacrifice is not forgotten.
He was speaking with The Gleaner yesterday as police officers based at the St Catherine North Divisional Headquarters paid their respects to Detective Corporal Dane Biggs and Constable Decardo Hylton, who died on June 12.
“The Police Federation is saying it cannot be business as usual. You have young people from all around Jamaica who are enlisted in the Jamaica Constabulary Force to serve, protect and reassure the people of this country. Some have given their lives – these two colleagues have given their lives.
“Just four years on the job, Hylton, 26 years old, and Biggs, 10 years on the job and 32 years old, have given their lives to make this country a better place,” Rowe said.
He pointed out that when government officials die, they are given national honours with parliamentary tributes, moments of silence, national viewings and the Jamaican flag flown at half mast as a mark of respect. He wants to see similar steps taken to salute officers killed in the line of duty.
“These two men were killed because they want to make Jamaica better a place. Their contribution to this country outweighs a lot of the contributions of others who have died in this country, and we are asking for the Government to properly recognise them,” Rowe said.
“The Federation is also asking the political directorate, including the prime minister and the leader of the Opposition, to attend their funerals in a sign of true support and [give] comfort to the respective families,” Rowe said, adding that the Government should order that all flags on state buildings be lowered to half mast as a sign of respect for Biggs and Hylton.
The Police Federation boss told The Gleaner that they are willing to press home the need for the country to salute the men and may visit Parliament to spur the nation’s leaders to allocate time “to pay proper tribute to fallen brothers”.
The ultimate colleague
Yesterday, Biggs’ teary-eyed batchmates described him as “the ultimate colleague”.
“He was the perfect person to us. He was everything you could ask for in a colleague. He was always there as a person, no matter what you ask of him,” said Corporal Jermaine Hay Gordon.
“My best memory of him was one of humility. He was everything a good police officer should have been,” added Hay Gordon.
Another of Biggs’ batchmates, Detective Constable Stacy-Ann Burke, said she was still grieving the tragic loss of her colleagues.
“Detective Biggs was my colleague and he was my friend, and even more than a friend, he was my brother, and I don’t know when I will get over this because Biggs was decent in every sense of the word. He was responsible and someone to emulate and to look up to and Hylton was a special talent,” she said.
“When you talk about being respectful, Biggs epitomises that among his batchmates. He was full of love and I have never seen him upset or angry and we love him and miss him dearly. We miss Biggs; we miss him,” she added as tears flowed.
In the Horizon Park operation, two other cops were also injured as an 11-member team tried to apprehend 39-year-old Damion Hamilton at a house in a predawn operation. After making his escape, Hamilton, a deportee, was later shot and killed by the police in Cooreville Gardens, St Andrew, a few hours later. At least two other officers were injured in the second incident.