Ja: It ain't easy being police

McFarlane offers an historical and global perspective on the police force. He touches on the genesis of such a force in Britain and the U.S., and notes the need for a change in hiring requirements in order to eliminate policing mthods and problems.

Back in Jamaica, the task of getting the force to clean up its act and get on with doing the job on a high level, is a big one, though not impossible. We have already seen efforts among the members of the force to improve their education and to take a professional attitude to their task. Trinity set an example by getting his law degree, but he is by no means the only one. The management of the force needs to make constant upgrading and improvement in the skills and attitudes of the members a priority, even as it battles the powers that be for money to acquire decent equipment and provide constables comfortable working accommodation. The police can be as strict as they like in enforcing the law, but courtesy and good manners will make that job easier.

They have to work to improve their attitude towards the public, because, like the politicians who love to use them as a football, they have to understand that they are truly servants, and not masters, of the people they are sworn to serve and protect.