What are the ranks of police officers in Jamaica?

Answered By Aneisha Dobson, Associate Writer

When a person makes the decision to become part of the police force, “service” and “serving the public” become the overall focus of their career.

“We serve, we protect, we reassure with courtesy, integrity and proper respect for the rights of all.” (CSJP, 2018)

The quote above forms a part of the Mission Statement of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the official police force in Jamaica.

But did you know that there are eleven (11) ranks of officers in the JCF?
More on that below. Here's a quick history lesson though...

The Birth Of Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF)

Before the Jamaica Constabulary Force came into existence, there were voluntary constables. However, after the Morant Bay Uprising in 1865, which was led by National Hero Paul Bogle, there was a need to enforce law and order in Jamaica.

This need gave birth to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the organization was established in 1867.

Since its establishment, the JCF has undergone various structural changes, with many units being established, merged or abolished.

In former years, a lot of emphasis was placed on person’s body structure when recruiting prospective police officers. However, as time progressed, we observe that importance has been placed on academic aspects such as CSEC subjects and university degrees.

The Hierarchical Structure Of the JCF

Like any organization, the JCF has its own distinct hierarchical structure that outlines the levels of authority and chain of command. These levels are referred to as “ranks”.

Each rank has its own unique role and level responsibility.

How a person is promoted from one rank to another is dependent on variety of factors such as recommendations, success in promotional examinations and behaviour.

This leads me right into your question… “What are the ranks of the police force in Jamaica?”

The Jamaica Constabulary Force comprise of eleven ranks, starting from constable and ending with commissioner.

On the topic of Commissioner, if you keep up-to-date with local news you will realize that the turnover of the post of Commissioner has been very high.

Currently, Major General Anthony Anderson holds this post since the 6th of March 2018.

In total, Jamaica has had 29 commissioners in JCF history. The Commissioner has a very important role, as he has sole operational command and superintendence of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

Now without further ado, here’s the list of the ranks in the JCF (from highest to lowest).

Hey, did you know that, in most cases, you can identify an officer’s rank by the badge he wears? Yup!

In the listing, I will identify the unique badge that represent each rank.



There you go!

Remember to share your new found knowledge with those you think might have an interest in this topic.

Until next time…
AD

References:

1. Citizen Security and Justice Programme. (2018). One one One with the Police. Retrieved from Citizen Security and Justice Programme: https://csjp.gov.jm/police/mission-vision-promise
   
   
2. Jamaica Gleaner. (2017, February 12). Jamaica Constabulary Museum Showcases Police History. Retrieved from Jamaica Gleaner: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/art-leisure/20170212/jamaica-constabulary-museum-showcases-police-history
   
   
3. Jamaica Gleaner. (2018, September 27). What Determines Promotion JCF. Retrieved from Jamaica Gleaner: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/letters/20180827/letter-day-what-determines-promotion-jcf
   
   
4. Jamaica Information Service. (2018, March 6). Major General Anthony Anderson Nre Commissioner Police. Retrieved from Jamaica Information Service: https://jis.gov.jm/major-general-antony-anderson-new-commissioner-police/
   
   
5. Samuels, E. (2018). Badges of Rank of the Jamaica Constabulary Force Copy. Retrieved from Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/doc/126268503/Badges-of-Rank-of-the-Jamaica-Constabulary-Force-Copy
   
   
   
   

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