HEAVY JCF ATTRITION
But Deputy Commissioner Bailey believes massive recruitment is filling void to tackle serious crimes
Published:Thursday | August 10, 2023 | 12:12 AMCorey Robinson/Senior Staff Reporter
DESPITE A massive recruitment drive in recent years, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) continues to endure a shortage of members. But Deputy Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey believes that it is not very concerning as serious crimes continue to decline across the island.
According to the 2022 Economic and Social Survey of Jamaica (ESSJ), published late last month: “The strength of the Jamaica Constabulary Force continued to increase. As of December 31, it had increased by 4.0 percent to 12,498, still 11.3 percent below the establishment size.”
The established quota is some 14,000 members.
The report added that last year, 564 persons (452 males and 112 females) joined the force. This was 28 persons fewer than in 2021. At the same time, 336 officers left the force.
Resignations were the main reasons, accounting for 43.7 percent, while 39.1 percent of cops retired. Ten cops died tragically.
On the ground, however, it seems like the numbers are much more as cops across various police divisions complain about the wanton resignation of colleagues, many of whom go off on leave abroad before informing their superiors that they will not return.
The usual concerns surround remuneration, followed by treatment by superiors, followed by unsatisfactory work conditions that have left some officers seeking employment overseas. The mass exodus reportedly started at the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic, they said.
Recruitment drive ‘working well’
It seems like North America and other Caribbean territories are increasingly becoming escape hatches for the Jamaican cops even as the Constabulary boasts of increased intakes and graduates at training schools.
“It is no secret that we have been having a massive recruitment drive and that we have been recruiting over 1,000 members per year for the past few years,” said Bailey, basing his assessment on reports from the JCF’s administration branch.
“The recruitment drive is working well in terms of increasing and fulfilling our quota. We have committed to it, and as a matter of fact, we have been recruiting people in excess of the amount.”
Bailey couldn’t say how long, but noted that it would take several years for the numbers to reach the required quota even with aggressive recruitment.
In the meantime, he said, the shortfall has not affected the crime fight.
Up to the end of last month, there was a total of 786 murders, compared to 891 over the same period the year before.
“We are seeing a reduction in all major crimes, and if you look at last year November and December into January, you will see that a significant amount of persons were deployed on the streets, and we have seen the impact of that in terms of our crime figure,” said Bailey.
“We are still expecting further reductions in crime. So there is no doubt that the recruitment drive has assisted the process,” he said, adding that there was no ‘big fix’ to the number of persons leaving the force yearly.
“I don’t think our rate of attrition is higher than anywhere else. Young people generally don’t stay too long on one job, and I think what we need to do is just constantly train and recruit people. It will take care of the attrition.”
This is not to negate the challenges cops face in the force, however.
“Whilst I do appreciate that terms and conditions of service, physical infrastructure, and work environment is also critical. People don’t necessarily leave the job because of that alone. People will come into the organisation and in a few years they leave,” he said.
Earlier this year, Corporal Rohan James, chairman of the Police Federation, told the newspaper that at least 25 members of the force had resigned from one police division.
“Persons are submitting resignations left, right, and centre. It is right across the JCF. Even the specialised operations are being jolted,” he said. “There are a number of reasons why they are quitting. Some are leaving for greener pastures. Some are just tired of the crime, salary, lack of resources, the disrespect, you name it.”
James, who was recently interdicted for statements he made about the police command and salary arrangements for members, declined to speak further yesterday.
Earlier in the year, however, he told the newspaper that the Federation’s members were not prepared “to take the crumbs” in 2023.
One senior investigator told The Gleaner that at least 10 persons had left her division since the start of the year.
“If you see your colleagues go off on a long vacation, you really don’t expect to see them back,” she said. “The salary is not so hot; the government can do better ,and on top of getting little for your pay, we have to be tapping into our own resources to get the work done.”