Shelly-Ann Thompson, Gleaner Writer

Standing in the midst of a sea of her male colleagues, clutching an M-16 rifle in her left hand and a semi-automatic pistol protruding through her skirt suit, woman Corporal Carla Bucknor was a picture of confidence at the Kingston Public Hospital, last Tuesday afternoon.

This was after she had earlier run out of her $2,700 leather heels and donned flip-flops to combat gunfire that rained on West Kingston that day.

Corporal Bucknor, dressed for court, abandoned the hearing to assist her colleagues after learning that they needed assistance.

Lost shoes

"Is my nice pair of black heels. Now I don't even know where they are," said Corporal Bucknor as she twisted her feet encased in pantyhose but now in the Jamaican flag decorated flip-flops.

"When I heard that they needed more back-up, I went straight to work, grabbed my gears and headed to the scene," said the 5' 9" detective who is stationed at Central Police Station, downtown Kingston.

Corporal Bucknor, wearing a bullet-proof vest under her brown suit, complemented by a gold necklace, said when duty calls, decisive action must be taken.

"I had to kick off my heels because I came across a large pool of water on Pink Lane (in West Kingston) and I realised that I wouldn't be able to cross with the heels," she said.

Thanks to a female resident of the community, who is unknown to the detective, she was not left barefooted for a long time.

"A good Samaritan said to me, 'officer hold these' and threw me the slippers."

Corporal Bucknor added that, if the skirt also became cumbersome, the split at the back would have to be opened.

"If it means that I have to roll it up or bust open the split it's going to happen," she said.

shelly-ann.thompson @gleanerjm.com