By Erica James-King, Staff Reporter 
Bishop Ivan Evans (right) prays for Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police for Area 3, Carlton Maddix (centre), after he anointed him with oil. Looking on is Police Chief for St. Elizabeth Superintendent Herman Brown. The occasion was the church service to mark Police Courtesy Week in St. Elizabeth, Sunday, at the Waterloo Apostolic Church. - Patrick Campbell/Freelance Photographer
WESTERN BUREAU:
SCORES OF members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) laid down arms, abandoned their stern looks and sought help from a Higher Force on Sunday, at the Waterloo Apostolic Church in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth.
High-ranking and rank and file police readily responded to an invitation for prayers to be said on their behalf by the host Pastor, Bishop Ivan Evans. The lawmen and women were liberal in their shouts of praise and waves of hands in surrender and worship to God.
The service marked the official launch of Police Courtesy Week, which is being held under the theme "Police and Community in partnership for a safe Jamaica."
Bishop Evans implored police personnel islandwide to adopt a new crime-fighting strategy, by "investing in a higher power - God."
The man of the cloth sternly warned law enforcement officers that without surrendering their lives to God, they would always be losers in the face of Jamaica's escalating crime wave.
"The Lord has called you for such a time as this. You can command them (the gunmen) from the wiles of the bushes, you can do it. Remember the Lord said 'he that believes on me, they shall cast out devils.'"
He also expressed the belief that a new day, where crime is almost non-existent, could not dawn in Jamaica, unless the police live lives that are holy and guided by God's command of loving your neighbour as yourself.
Meanwhile, the call for a partnership approach to policing was repeated and reiterated during the Church Service. The need was underscored by a message from Police Commissioner Francis Forbes, delivered by Acting Assistant Commissioner of Area 3, Carlton Maddix.
"Through our community-based policing initiatives, we intend to develop partnerships with as many government and non-government organisations as possible, " the message said.
The Commissioner maintained that partnerships with the police at the community and national levels are mandatory in putting a dent in the prevailing high crime rate.
"Experience shows that successful crime reduction include several agencies working together and adopting a problem-solving approach to crime. Under the current reform and modernisation programme being implemented by the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the British Government, strong emphasis is being placed on the development and sustainability of partnerships," he said.
Commissioner Forbes said that Police Courtesy Week reflected the heart of the force's Mission Statement -- "We serve, we protect, we reassure with courtesy, integrity and proper respect for the rights of all."
The idea of Police Courtesy Week, which aims to strengthen the positive relationship between the police and the public, came from one of the police's key partners in the fight against crime, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ).
While addressing participants in the Police Courtesy Week Church Service, Marlene Parker, Senior Director of Research and Finance with the PSOJ, made it clear that her organisation had joined ranks with the lawmen in staging Police Courtesy Week, as a further show of support to the Jamaica Constabulary Force's new policy of providing training in customer service, ethics and values.
The PSOJ official who gave her organisation's commitment to backing police peace-keeping and crime-fighting measures, argued that the only vehicle for ensuring a more peaceful island is for a multi-sectoral approach to maintaining law and order.
"We the members of the PSOJ feel it is important that the public sees the police as their partners in our on-going fight against crime and corruption in our society."
As for the Top Cop in St. Elizabeth Superintendent Herman Brown, he wants partnership in crime-fighting to extend to the home level. He is challenging each person to put on the role as mediator, as the majority of murders in St. Elizabeth can be laid squarely at the feet of domestic conflicts. Of the 17 murders committed in St. Elizabeth since the start of the year, nine are as a result of domestic disputes.
Superintendent Brown is stressing the need for each family member to become proactive in keeping the peace and in brokering peace whenever conflicts arise.
St. Elizabeth which is one of the parishes with the lowest crime rate, has a vibrant Community Policing Programme and on that basis it was selected by the JCF, the PSOJ and The Gleaner to be the launching pad for the island's first ever Police Courtesy Week. Among the activities to mark the week are: Police Open House at all the stations in St. Elizabeth on Monday, visits by members of the JCF to the Mannings Boys Home and the Black River Hospital today and a Public Forum on Thursday at Comfort Villa Guest House.
The highlight of Police Courtesy Week on Friday will be a domino tournament between St. Elizabeth and Clarendon. The curtains come down on Saturday with a fun day at Treasure Beach.
