Constable praised for intervention at Brown’s Town bus park

District Constable Petrina McDonald, who is stationed at the Brown’s Town Police Station, has come in for commendation on social media for intervening in a dispute between two high-school students at the bus park in that town.

McDonald then went to speak to students and public transport operators at the park, several of whom were being accused of not carrying students in their motor vehicles, a situation that she said has now changed somewhat.

A video taken without her knowledge at the time and which was subsequently posted on Facebook, has drawn commendations for the young officer.

“Friday (October 7), I was doing foot patrol in the town centre of Brown’s Town and there was a dispute in the bus park with students of Brown’s Town Comprehensive High School, so I quelled the dispute, and I took the opportunity to speak to students and adults, because the complaint was that taxi drivers and bus drivers were not taking the students home, so I used the opportunity to get some assistance from the drivers,” McDonald told The Gleaner.

“Somebody recorded me without my knowledge and it went viral. The response has been absolutely positive. Kudos to the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force), to the United District Constables Association, because we do still have great police officers working, trying to make this a violence-free country, not just for students in schools, but for Jamaica at large.”

McDonald said she took action because of the level of violence that exists now in schools, and made reference to a recent stabbing incident at Kingston Technical High School. She said she has started an initiative to address the issue.

“It was degrading, it was so sad for that level of violence to be exposed to our children, so I’ve started the initiative to see how best we can go to schools islandwide to make them a better environment for learning.”

Her actions have also resulted in more taxi and bus operators picking up students, and a rush to get into vehicles whenever students see her coming.

“For example, on Wednesday when I was walking up to the town centre, I heard one of the taxi drivers say, ‘Officer Macky coming!’ and the bus park was cleared. All the students ran, some of them ran into their respective buses, taxis, you know, and I’m saying ‘Wow!’ I don’t want to instil fear, I want to instil faith, because I want them to know that the justice system works ... but if you commit a crime you should be brought to justice.”