Over the years, the industrious service of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has been grossly undermined by the Jamaican majority.

In lieu of highlighting and saluting the outstanding work of many of our police officers, we have taken to fiery accusations of police corruption and brutality.

Criminals have even rebelled and retaliated against the police security (sometimes with impunity) by mercilessly attacking and slaughtering many of our officers in the line of duty. In light of this, many of us have not regarded their lifetime sacrifice to serve, protect and reassure.

Certainly, there have been proven cases of police corruption. Just last month we saw the conviction of Superintendent Harry ‘Bungles’ Daley for breaching the Corruption Prevention Act. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison but has filed an appeal. In 2008, 60 cops were found guilty of corruption and removed from the police force.

However, TEENage wants to salute all those other police officers who have indeed kept a clean slate and have continued to professionally execute their skills and training in safeguarding our communities.

Many of them have, through sheer grit and determination, curbed violent outbreaks over the years, nabbed some of the most wanted criminals among us, regulated congested traffic flow and effectively clamped down on the playing of derogatory music and student sexual misconduct on public passenger transport, among an endless list of things.

Given this and the startling 1,680 reported murders in 2009, our police will indeed need great empowerment to continue their tumultuous crime battle. Consequently, we must refrain from unwarranted criticism and offer them our full support. Certainly, we cannot allow the reputation of our country to continued to be stained by the crime scourge that threatens to engulf us all.

Already, an anti-gang team is set to be launched in Kingston, Clarendon and St James to dismantle criminal groups and combat reprisal activities in garrison communities.

The Government has also mandated 800 recruits to bolster the already 8,400 police cohort, moving up the force’s membership to 9,200. This, too, is in an effort to effectively fight crime and reclaim a peaceful Jamaica.

Evidently, our safety is held in high regard and so we must be patient and co-operative if we are to make headway in resolving our crime problem.

Let us try to avoid a recurrence of last year’s brutal attacks upon our police, which resulted in the heart-rending death of 11 cops, including Special Inspector Landsdale George Pinnock from Portland and Constable Steve Brown of the Mobile Reserve in Clarendon, who were both were shot dead while on duty.

Let us also be mindful of the fact that our police, like us, have families that love and embrace them, so their lives are just as valuable as any other citizen among us.

Remember also that encouragement does strengthen labour, so we must celebrate the work of our police, recognising that a number of them have indeed contributed to nation-building. This is indeed very evident from the 2009 Governor General’s Award ceremony held at King’s House, where Acting Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington was rewarded for his dedicated service to the Jamaica Constabulary Force and Deputy Commissioner of Police Jevene Bent was conferred with the Order of Distinction in the Commander Class (CD).

Over the years, many of our police officers have also been recognised by the Lasco group of companies for outstanding police service. Ranked among those are: Constable Marvin Franklin, who received the 2008/2009 Lasco Top Cop Award; Sergeant Linroy Edwards and Deputy Inspector Michael Grant, who also copped the award in 2007/2008 and 2005 respectively.

Undoubtedly, these policemen deserve our utmost respect and gratitude. We must therefore remain steadfast in our support for them.

TEENage also wants to implore our police officers across Jamaica to pursue the clean and honourable path in line of their duty so that they can earn the trust and confidence of citizens and maintain effective community policing.

We are looking forward to a better 2010 with you as our earthly protectors, who have pledged to serve us with “courtesy, integrity and respect for all human rights”.

So let us join hands and hearts and form one army in defeating crime.