Tyrone Brown : More than just a policeman

When Tyrone Brown took the vow to 'serve, protect and reassure' as a policeman, he was already living that principle through his Christian faith.

Brown, who was born in Stony Hill, St Andrew and now lives and work in St Mary. The former Kingston Technical High School student, who has 25 years of service under his belt in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), told Rural Xpress that he lives to serve others.

"I started out at 'Beat on Foot' division and later moved on to the St Mary division in 1992. I'm now a sergeant in charge of traffic in the parish," he shared.

Borrowing the cliche, Brown said he, "didn't choose the force, but was, instead, chosen by it".

According to Brown, he said that while growing up, he was scared to death of police officers. "I used to run and hide when I saw a service vehicle approaching my community. Straight out of high school, I worked with the Railway Corporation and as fate would have it, I was really late for work one morning - too late to show up for work - and I decided to go downtown and sit the test and, as they say, the rest is history," he shared.

Brown is now exposed to people who really need assistance and it breaks his heart that he cannot give a helping hand to every need, but he said he will be doing what he can to impact those he is able to assist.

"I'm not just a police officer in the Jamaica Constabulary Force, I'm a father, I'm a son, I'm a husband, I'm a brother in the neighbourhood church, I'm a friend, I'm a product of society much like everyone else. when people start viewing us as such, the relationships we have will be a respectful, holistic one," he said.

Brown said his whole life is driven by two passions, the construction business and lending a hand to those most vulnerable in the society.

"Feeding is my passion. I've taken on the task of constructing my own house; the passion for helping others has seen me working collaboratively with those who share that passion, to improve the lives of those around us in less-than-fortunate circumstances. This passion crosses borders - physical, socio-economic and geographic because I believe if help is needed and if I'm able to offer it, I will," said Brown.

With his life dedicated to serving - both as a police personnel and a humanitarian, he said there is just one thing he would like to see more than anything else and it's "that we change how we see each other. I wish each individual would become his brother's keeper. This would undoubtedly impact the crime-fighting strategies of the JCF and improve the relationships, as well as open the doors of communication between us and the public," said Christian member of the United Church.

For Brown, his faith powers everything he does and enables him to work effectively and efficiently to effect change.

To sum up his life, he said, "I believe that what I do professionally and voluntarily is inspiration from God himself. [It is] His way of allowing me to be used to His honour and glory."

rural@gleanerjm.com