‘He makes us feel safe’
Constable Marlon Garriques hailed as pillar of community
ANNOTTO BAY, St Mary — For many people who make Annotto Bay their home, Constable Marlon Garriques — a fixture at community events — is more than just another cop. He’s a mediator and mentor, an integral part of their lives.
“Constable Garriques doesn’t just police the community, he’s part of it,” said a shopkeeper who only identified herself as Beryl.
“If there’s a dispute, he’s the first person people call. If there’s a school event, he’s there. He makes us feel safe, knowing that we can call upon a police officer any time,” she added.
Born in St Catherine, he idolised his father — who was also a cop — and that relationship has influenced the way he polices the people of the parish he has made his home. His impressive work within the community recently earned him a promotion within zone two of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Community Safety and Security Branch (CSSB).
A graduate of Jamaica Theological Seminary, Garriques is just as enthusiastic about his job today as he was when he joined the JCF 14 years ago. He has no regrets about his career path. He was first deployed to Port Maria, where he spent a year in the traffic department. He was later transferred to Prospect Police Station where he served four years. Then in 2016 he was transferred to the Annotto Bay Police Station where his community work intensified. Garriques has built a reputation of walking the streets, getting to know residents by name, and defusing tension before it escalates.
Some youngsters in the community described him as a “big brother” in uniform, crediting him with steering several of them away from crime through mentorship and regular check-ins.
“He talked to us, got us into skills training, checked on us,” said one 22-year-old from Annotto Bay who asked not to be identified by name.
“He’s the reason I am working now and not in trouble,” the young man added.
Members of the business community have also praised the work done by the JCF’s CSSB, crediting it for cooling tensions in communities that were once considered violence-plagued.
“It was like divine intervention when I was placed here. These communities needed presence, not just policing. We are not finished yet, we are working towards more intervention, more prevention,” Garriques vowed.
Constable Marlon Garriques conducting a breakout session in one of the schools in south-east St Mary.
Marlon Garriques when he graduated from the Jamaica Theological Seminary.
