Frog touching not part of JCF training - Assistant comissioner

Following the successful recruitment process carried out by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) annually, the recruits are made to undergo stringent training which involves a number of rigorous activities.

What may not seem so routine, however, is getting over the fear of frogs. This was the case for one such recruit who was captured on tape being forced to face his fears by holding on to a frog with his bare hands.

Video footage showing a number of JCF officers standing around an outwardly frightened recruit who is heard hollering because of his apparent fear of the amphibian.

When THE STAR contacted Assistant commissioner of Police (ACP) Norman Heywood, head of the National Police College of Jamaica, it was revealed that the occurrence was not part of standard procedure.

NOT REQUIRED

"I have not seen the video, but it is not a part of the training requirements. I can tell you that," he said. "Whatever video is out there, could just be a prank they were pulling on themselves. You don't have to hold any frog to pass through any of our training. That must have been captured by some colleague in some playful prank."

The high-ranking officer assured THE STAR that after reviewing the tape, if any instructors are identified then disciplinary action will follow.

"As a policy of the college, we do not support pranks of any nature," he said. "When persons come into police training, it is serious business. From day one, we expect them to operate at the standard at which they're going to operate when they are going out on the street. I would say that if any instructor was involved, then I would have to review the instructor's tenure at the college."

Like Heywood, viewers on Facebook were not amused by the video.

"Wow!! This has been going on for years, but it was never posted on the Internet, I guess it's a new trend. What if during this initiation of sorts the man got a panic attack or heart attack? It is all fun and games until something goes wrong," one person said.

Another wrote: "That's not funny. The public needed not to see that. Our justice system is sickening. Help him to get over his fears, yes, but that should be behind the doors of training."