JCF to Recruit Nearly 1200 Officers in 2023
While the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) was majorly affected in the recruiting department during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the acquisition and renovation of facilities by the Government saw a rise in officer intake during 2022 when the maximum number of recruits was raised to 1500 per year.
In 2023, Major General Anthony Anderson, commissioner of police, stated, “We are seeking to do another similar [number] this year. And, for the first time in at least, probably 10 [to] 15 years, we can actually see growth in the force.”
In the 2021/22 financial year, an approximation of 1,260 police constables were taken onto the payroll. The total number of employed officers, levelling up from the previous 11, 000 plus, is 12, 500. By the end of the new year, it is expected that the new total will rise to over 13, 000 officers.
The commissioner was speaking at a seminar on January 12 at the AC Marriott Hotel in Kingston Jamaica when he also noted that the JCF now has three new training facilities to total four, including the one that was previously available. The new facilities boast high-quality instructors and standards that will ensure an output of better-equipped officers who will be capable of fulfilling their assigned duties to the best of their abilities.
He also mentioned that there was an ongoing project to accredit their main institution. “An accredited training organization out of the National Police College of Jamaica so that all of the courses they deliver will be accredited,” Major Anderson said.
