Luebert Barrett spends birthday in service to country

Despite celebrating a birthday on Monday, election-day worker Luebert Barrett was happy to spend it serving his country as the long-delayed local government elections were held.

It was not his first time serving in an election and he told The Gleaner that his continued service is a result of his love for the people and a desire to serve the community.

“I am a person who loves to serve people, and this is one of the best positions as it helps to give back to the country,” Barrett said. “Plus, I always get good locations because the office usually sends us close to home,” he remarked, highlighting the good that comes with his service.

He said he was satisfied with the smooth manner in which the day was progressing at his polling station.

“Thankfully, there was no violence, and this really makes the job worthwhile,” he added.

This commitment to civic duty is also embodied by 23-year-old security officer Raheem Morgan, who was an auxiliary police officer for the day.

While expressing that the voter turnout could have been better, Morgan explained his decision to take on the responsibility.

“My job for today is to maintain the line order and make sure everything is in place and going as planned. I decided to do this job to gain the experience of what it would be like as a police officer for the day,” he shared.

Addressing concerns about potential disruptions, Morgan stated, “What I hoped for is what happened. I hoped that there were no problems like fights, and this is what happened.”

He believes that this experience will inform his decision about potentially joining the Jamaica Constabulary Force in the future.

He is confident that these experiences, both as a security officer and in this temporary role, will mould him into a capable police officer.

natrawn.wright@gleanerjm.com