‘Cowboy’ Knight passes Area 3 baton
MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Assistant Commissioner of Police Kevin Blake officially took over as head of the Area 3 Police Division (Manchester, St Elizabeth and Clarendon) on Thursday.
He replaced Assistant Commissioner of Police Derrick ‘Cowboy’ Knight who served the area from December 2012 and has now moved on to the Area 5 Headquarters, which comprises St Andrew South, St Thomas and St Catherine North and South.
Minister of National Security Peter Bunting, in addressing the Change of Command and Introductory Ceremony at the Church Teachers’ College in Mandeville, said that in addition to his new role, Blake, a relative of retired police commissioner Owen Ellington, has agreed to anchor the modernisation effort that will ensure the transition of the various diaries in police stations to “e-station diaries” for greater efficiency.
“I believe he is going to use Area 3 as the pilot for that initiative,” said Bunting who is also member of parliament for Central Manchester.
Blake was reportedly a computer specialist prior to joining the Jamaica Constabulary Force and his immediate position before the transfer was head of the National Intelligence Bureau.
The new Area 3 commander in his presentation to an audience made up of his colleagues and representatives from different organisations in the parishes that he will serve, said that his leadership will be characterised by professionalism and efforts to build and nurture partnerships.
“We often remind ourselves as members of the JCF that our true legitimacy comes from the people we serve and not so much from enacted legislation or bureaucratic regulations. It is through mutually beneficial relationships that the outcome of crime and violence reduction will come and safe and secure communities will emerge,” he said.
Knight told the Jamaica Observer that he has left Area 3 in an improved state, evidenced in ways such as the reduction in various categories of crime, better customer service and citizens’ particularly returning residents, are less fearful because of strategies implemented to allay concerns.
Through coordinated efforts, he said in his farewell speech, statistics from January to September this year were showing that compared to last year murders were down by almost 30 per cent.
He said that robberies were down by 15 per cent, break-ins by 24 per cent, incidents of rape by 26 per cent, a 14 per cent decline in larceny, and aggravated assault down by nine per cent.
Senior Superintendent Marlon Nesbeth’s tenure as head of the Manchester Police Division co-existed with Knight’s time in office leading the area. He was also recently transferred to Area 5.
Superintendent Melvin Brown is the new head of the Manchester Police Division.