KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA) will commence the fourth and final phase of its flagship Transforming Our Police Service (TOPS) programme on July 6, conducting re-inspections across the Area 5 divisions.
This phase is critical to ensuring the accountability and sustainability of the initiative. The PCOA team will evaluate whether the divisions—St. Thomas, St. Andrew North, St. Catherine North, and St. Catherine South—have met the specific improvement targets agreed upon during the virtual Performance Review Meeting held in May.
Following the initial inspections, Area 5 Divisional Commanders committed to a 100% improvement target, specifically focusing on records management. The upcoming re-inspection serves as the verification phase for these commitments.
“The Divisional Commanders gave their commitment to addressing the deficiencies identified and assured that procedures were in place to ensure improvement,” said Senior Director of Inspection and Monitoring, Andrew Beaumont. “I am looking forward to them meeting the targets set.”
The top-performing division, demonstrating the most significant improvement in records management, will be presented with the Dr. the Hon. Marshall Hall Award, which includes a monetary incentive to be used for the benefit of a station or division project of their choice.
Launched in 2019 in Area 2 (St. Mary, St. Ann and Portland, the TOPS programme is a structured, four-phase initiative designed to enhance the quality of policing across Jamaica. The phases are – Area Competition, Awards Ceremony, Performance Review Meeting and Re-inspection.
This incentivized programme aims to boost officer morale, increase procedural compliance, improve the quality of policing processes, and ultimately strengthen public trust and confidence in the Jamaica Constabulary Force.