Welfare of active and retired police personnel a priority – Chang

Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang, says the welfare of active and retired police personnel remains a top priority of the Jamaican Government.

He said there have been several initiatives to improve the well-being of officers, including the revamping of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Welfare Unit, resulting in more timely response to pension, health, and other benefits.

He noted that the medical treatment of officers injured in the line of duty is the State’s responsibility, ensuring “they receive quality and expeditious care”.

“Frankly, it is unacceptable that a police officer who is injured in the line of duty should be required to sit and wait for medical attention for many hours, sometimes weeks. Under the unit, those kinds of [scenarios] have ceased,” Chang said.

He was addressing the recent 30th Anniversary Church Service of the Association of Past Members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (APMJCF) Benevolent Society Chapter One, held at St James Parish Church in Montego Bay.

Chang also mentioned improvements in police salaries and allowances following a compensation review and restructuring. These changes, he said, will lead to more meaningful pensions for retiring officers.

The Minister commended the APMJCF Chapter One for three decades of service to former JCF members.

The APMJCF Benevolent Society is dedicated to supporting retired and active-duty police officers.

The organisation has been active for 30 years, with Chapter One covering the parishes of St James, Hanover, Trelawny, and Westmoreland.

With 85 members, the Chapter works to ensure dignified retirements through welfare programmes, health fairs, and social intervention initiatives.

President, of the APMJCF Chapter One, Harris Daley, said that the organisation has also contributed to the JCF convalescence home in St Elizabeth and provided input for national social intervention programmes.

“We are now in the process of forging stronger links with our APMJCF overseas chapters, as many of our past members in the diaspora are scattered across professions such as medicine law and education. These members are willing, through the APMJCF, to help with social outreach programme that can benefit Jamaica,” Daley said.

The event was held under the theme ‘Inspiring a United, Caring and Sharing Society’.

- JIS News

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