Reality and promises
published: Friday | July 28, 2006

Heather Robinson

There is a proverb that tells us about the danger of believing in promises. This most commonly used proverb states "A promise is a comfort to a fool", and there aren't many persons who will willingly admit to being a fool, and in any case neither is there anyone who wants to be called a fool.

Recently several members of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) have been promising public servants massive increases in salary if they are elected to form the next government of Jamaica. These promises were made to nurses and police officers, and another was also made to the residents of Portmore to reduce the toll. It is only a fool who would believe that these promises will materialize into reality after the next elections.

Not fools

Nurses who have to ensure patients get their correct medication on time are no fools. Police officers who have to protect the confidentiality of a 13-year-old sexual assault victim are no fools. Nurses who work ten-hour shifts and still provide excellent health care are not fools. The police officers who apprehended Joel Andem and "Richie Poo" are not fools.

Some persons refer to the period approaching a national election as the 'Silly Season'. And perhaps this is where we really are now. Wednesday's Daily Gleaner quoted the General Secretary of the Police Federation thus: "Neither will we accept a position where a Government which has proven itself to be inconsistent in the past and has inconsistently fallen short of policemen's expectations in providing resources and the appropriate conditions of service to subtly become pious and do the honourable thing in relation to the police."

Interesting reading

Salaries for police officers during the period 1989 to March 2005 provide interesting reading.

(See table below)

Sometimes we are too quick to jump to conclusions without looking at the reality that is in front of us. Even with increases as high as 1889% our police officers still have problems surviving on the salaries they receive, and are in fact deserving of more. But never should we be led to believe that the government has been "inconsistent". The annual salary of a constable in 1989 was $21,711. How many members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force can relate to this?

The reality that police officers must remember is that much has been achieved, and much more needs to be achieved. And perhaps it is a fact that the government "has inconsistently fallen short of policemen's expectations". Language is sometimes confusing, and if we try to be simple in our effort to communicate, we will be able to discern the difference between reality and a promise.

Heather Robinson is a Life Underwriter and former Member of Parliament.

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ANNUAL GROSS SALARIES OF POLICE OFFICERS 1989-2005

RANK	SALARY / YEAR
-		1989	1990	1995	2000	2001	2003	2005	%increase 1989/2001-2005
Constable		$21,711	24,968	100,299	344,514	N/A	380,118	N/A	1750
Corporal		$25,824	29,700	135,874	400,502	N/A	441,888	N/A	1711
Sergeant		$28,093	32,295	157,806	455,142	N/A	502,179	N/A	1787
Inspector		$30,351	34,905	161,666	517,718	N/A	571,218	N/A	1882
Deputy Superintendent		N/A	66,448	264,078	806,418	836,674	N/A	1,213,749	1826
Superintendent		N/A	73,303	313,872	946,783	966,664	N/A	1,416,619	1932
Senior Superintendent		N/A	89,047	379,875	1,133,126	1,178,451	N/A	1,670,219	1876
Assistant Commissioner		N/A	107,652	477,661	1,408,480	1,464,819	N/A	2,034,026	1889
Deputy Commissioner		N/A	131,642	578,213	1,691,972	1,769,651	N/A	2,348,814	1784
Commissioner		N/A	173,380	735,023	2,134,039	2,218,400	N/A	2,954,561	1704

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N/A - not available