JFC Mobile Managers Ready to Drive 'Leadership with Heart'

Coordinator at the National Police College of Jamaica (NPCJ), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Jean McDonald Ballen, speaks at the recent graduation ceremony for 35 middle management police supervisors from Jamaica and across the Caribbean, who completed the Staff and Junior Command Course.  The graduation exercise was held at the National Police College of Jamaica (NPCJ) in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine. (Photo by Michael Sloley)

Twenty-seven officers from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) have benefited from training better equipping them with the leadership skills and strategic mindset to strengthen policing, shape safer communities and drive institutional transformation.

They were among 35 middle-management leaders from across the Caribbean, who completed the Staff and Junior Command Course at the National Police College of Jamaica (NPCJ) in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine.

Conducted over 12 weeks, the training programme, under the theme ‘Leadership with Heart: Driving Positive Change’, blended strategic, operational and managerial competencies with empathy and emotional intelligence, empowering the officers to operate in an increasingly complex security environment.

In addition to the JCF, participants were from the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF), Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF), and the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force.

During the recent graduation ceremony, held at the NPCJ, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Richard Stewart, congratulated the graduates on completing the course.

He said that the theme of the programme was apt, as it emphasised the growing importance of empathetic leadership in law enforcement.

“We are now even more convinced that technical competencies alone cannot achieve police efficiency and effectiveness. The challenges of the current milieu, characterised by contention, dynamism and opaqueness, require leaders with the appropriate blend of intellect, empathy, discipline and care for those being led. That is leadership with heart,” he pointed out.

DCP Stewart notes that traditional police leadership training often focuses heavily on strategies, structures and systems, while placing less emphasis on shared values and organisational culture.

He said the JCF’s leadership is now deliberately integrating values-based principles into training through the development of a doctrine programme designed to reinforce positive cultural transformation across the organisation.

He pointed to Jamaica’s declining murder rate as evidence of the impact of the police transformation efforts, noting that 2025 was the first year in decades in which the country recorded fewer than 1,000 murders.

DCP Stewart said that maintaining and improving these gains will require leaders who are committed to excellence as a daily practice.

“The JCF is on the path of excellence, and we know that the continued reduction in violence must become a habit,” he noted, stressing the importance of investing in people, quality service delivery and technology.

He also reminded graduates that public trust remains one of policing’s most valuable assets and must be carefully protected through professionalism and ethical conduct.

Director of the NPCJ, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Merrick Watson, challenged the graduates to view their achievement as more than an academic milestone.

“Today is not simply a graduation ceremony. Consider it a signal that leadership in Caribbean policing is evolving; that it is no longer defined solely by rank, authority or command presence but by something far more enduring – heart,” he said.

ACP Watson argued that modern policing challenges demand leaders who can think critically, act decisively and connect meaningfully with the people they serve.

“Leadership with heart is not softness; it is strength properly understood,” he said.

“It is the ability to make decisions while still seeing the people behind the problem. It is holding your teams accountable while investing in their growth. It is enforcing the law while preserving dignity,” he added.

Course Coordinator, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Jean McDonald Ballen, outlined the comprehensive training programme undertaken by the cohort.

In addition to the 27 JCF officers, there were six officers from the RTCIPF, and two officers from the RVIPF. Participants included assistant superintendents, inspectors and senior border officers.

Delivered through a hybrid model combining virtual and face-to-face instruction, the programme exposed participants to five competency-based modules – personal effectiveness as a senior supervisor, police leadership and management, police administration, crime investigation and intelligence management, and operations and critical incident management.

The training also included a two-week divisional duty officer practicum, allowing participants to gain practical leadership experience in operational policing environments.

Assessment was rigorous, with nine evaluation components, including public speaking, operational planning, essay writing, critical incident decision-making exercises, fieldwork, examinations and project presentations.

DSP McDonald Ballen said that the participants responded positively to the curriculum and particularly valued lessons in systems thinking, lockup administration, professional conduct, organisational communication and change management.

“All participants satisfied the requirements of the course with a passing grade of at least 60 per cent on the final examination,” she informed.

“Exposure to a range of policing issues and competencies has given the participants the confidence to take on a new and more demanding role. They have been sufficiently equipped to be change ambassadors in their respective divisions and to lead in a complex environment,” she noted.

Speaking on behalf of the graduating class, Inspector Donavon Francis expressed gratitude to the many individuals who contributed to the cohort’s success, including government leaders, police executives, instructors, administrative staff and family members.

He described the experience as transformative, empowering graduates to return to their respective organisations with renewed commitment to service and professionalism.

“We leave this institution not only more knowledgeable but more determined to lead with integrity, serve with courage and uphold the highest standards of professionalism,” Inspector Francis said.

By Garfield L. Angus