Chang angers cops with 'glorified security guards' comment

The Jamaica Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), is demanding a retraction by Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang of his recent criticisms of the force.

The federation says it is shocked and outraged by the comments Chang made at a forum put on by the Caribbean Policy Research Institute in partnership with the Institute of Criminal Justice and Security last week.

At the forum dubbed 'From Force to Service: Reforming the Jamaican Police', Chang likened the JCF to "a glorified security guard system".

Among other criticisms, Chang said the JCF was largely designed to protect the property of property owners, "where we trained them for six months in military drill, gave them some discipline, gave them a big pine baton and a Lee Enfield rifle and then we complain that they shoot or beat up somebody".

He added: "Now we have to reorient that, retrain and restructure the force to accommodate the young professionals who are interested in law enforcement."

But chairman of the federation, Corporal Arleen McBean, fired back yesterday as she argued that Chang's comments were infelicitous and paint the JCF in a bad light.

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"Successive administrations have failed to invest in the human capital of the JCF, and for the minister of national security to state that the police force is the complete opposite to the first-world Jamaica Defence Force gives the impression that members of the constabulary are not valued or [are] incompetent," said McBean.

She said if Chang believes that JCF is irreparable he should have discussed the matter with the federation so that the cops would not have heard it in the public domain.

"The federation believes that the minister's public criticisms of the JCF has further discredited our efforts and has emboldened those who seek to trample on the efforts of the rank and file," charged McBean.