By Damion Mitchell, Staff ReporterAT LEAST five police officers, who, up to last Thursday were canvassing support as delegates to be elected to the executive of the Jamaica Police Federation, had their hopes dashed last Friday when they were named among over 200 police personnel ordered transferred.
The transfers which became effective on Sunday June 1, mean that the five police officers may no longer be delegates at the Police Federation's Central Executive conference slated for today and tomorrow, as they are now serving outside of the respective divisions for which they were selected as delegates.
The federation, which is headed by an eight-member executive, acts as a go-between rank and file members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), and the police high command.
Police sources told The Gleaner that the current executive has not been particularly popular among its members and that many rank and file members are anxious to have it replaced.
In a release yesterday Inspector Steven Moodie, one of the delegates affected by the transfers, said the decision to assign the five police officers in particular to different divisions was "a strategic move which has disenfranchised potential members of the new central executive." He also noted that it has "effectively frustrated" the will of the people.
Corporal Noel Morrison, another of the affected delegates said it was "highly questionable" that the officers were ordered to take up transfers on a Sunday and more so within 48 hours from the time of notice.
"In my 25 years as a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force I have never seen such a thing," he said while noting that on average, a police officer ordered to take up a transfer, is given between seven days and one month.
Contacted yesterday, Sergeant Steve Brown, Chairman of the federation declined to comment on the issue surrounding the transfers. "Transfer is the prerogative of the Commissioner of Police," he stated.
When pressed on whether the federation would be relaying the related concerns to the police high command, Sgt. Brown said: "We will represent any matter which comes to our attention." He claimed no one had sought the Federation's intervention in the matter.
But Corporal Morrison has dismissed this, saying that he met with Sgt. Brown on Friday and again yesterday to express concerns that the transfers have made it impossible for the five police personnel in particular to be elected to the federation's executive.
On May 5, a former Jamaica Police Federation General Secretary who had declared her intentions to seek election to the federation's executive was also transferred.
Attempts to contact Jevene Bent, the Deputy Commissioner of Police to comment on whether the Police Federation may influence the high command's decision to transfer personnel were unsuccessful.
