‘Lead with Integrity, Science and Compassion’ – ACP McKenzie Urges Command Course Graduates
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in the Strategic Operations Portfolio, Dr Gary McKenzie has called on newly minted graduate commanders from Jamaica and the wider Caribbean to embrace “advanced” standards of leadership as they confront a more complex era of law enforcement.
Dr McKenzie was delivering the keynote address at the graduation ceremony for the 1-Year Advanced Diploma in Command, Leadership and Management at the National Police College of Jamaica (NPCJ).
The cohort of 23 included 20 members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (11 Superintendents and nine Deputy Superintendents), one Superintendent from the Royal Anguilla Police Force, one Superintendent from the Jamaica Fire Brigade and one Assistant Superintendent from the Department of Correctional Services.
“This is not a diploma in command, leadership and management, it is advanced,” he told the graduates. “When something is advanced, it is at the very top. You are not ordinary persons. You are esteemed commanders.”
Modern policing ‘far more complex’
Arguing that effective leadership is now “essential for navigating the complexities of modern policing”, Dr McKenzie said policing was no longer just about arrests and maintaining order. “Policing is not what it used to be 50 or 60 years ago. It is far more complex,” he said. “A modern police force is part and parcel of the development and sustenance of society.”
He said contemporary commanders must be prepared to manage thousands of people, scarce resources and high-risk incidents, often while serving as the first point of contact for citizens in distress. “Nowadays we are like the go-to persons,” he noted, recalling that residents in one community called a police officer not to transport a sick person to hospital, but to ask him what he thought was wrong.
Twelve strategies for leadership
Dr McKenzie used his address to outline 12 leadership strategies he believes are critical for commanding officers in a “dynamic and contemporary law enforcement environment”.
Top of the list was community engagement. “All that we do as commanders is to ensure that the community is safe,” he said. “Building strong relationships between police and communities fosters trust and cooperation… Every community has its own idiosyncratic tendencies, and unless we understand these features, we will not be able to command in an effective way.”
ACP McKenzie also highlighted transparency and accountability as “cornerstones” of modern policing. “Promotion of transparency is vital because it establishes trust,” he said. “A culture of accountability within a police department is crucial for maintaining public trust. Leaders must set clear expectations for behaviour and performance while holding officers accountable.”
Referring to questions he faced on whether the police would be lenient in enforcing laws after Hurricane Melissa, Dr McKenzie said commanders must be prepared to make tough, lawful decisions even when calls for sympathy appear reasonable. “The police force is a creature of the law… When you say to people that a party is to be turned off at midnight and we allow it to go on, and at one o’clock somebody, God forbid, is killed, where is the accountability as a leader?” he asked.
Oversight, development and data
The ACP said commanders should embrace oversight mechanisms, rather than fear them. “Oversight mechanisms are important because they keep us grounded,” he told the audience. “We should not be worried about oversight mechanisms… our actions should be above board all the time.”
He urged senior officers to invest in the professional development of the people they lead, including by sharing their own specialist training. “We get all this training, we have all this expertise, and we fail to impart it. We should not do that,” he said, adding that surrounding oneself with competent staff reduces the burden on commanders and strengthens the organisation.
Dr McKenzie also pressed for “scientific”, data-driven policing, pointing to Jamaica’s shift towards intelligence-led operations and the role this has played in reducing major crimes from the peak years of violence in St James and other divisions. “We have started to apply the science of policing,” he said. “Once we lead and when we plan, we must ensure that we are actually utilising data.”
Partnerships and Officer Welfare
The Assistant Commissioner stressed that law enforcement cannot operate in isolation, citing long-standing partnerships with the private sector, the fire service, corrections, community groups and international donors. “We cannot do what we have to do as command leaders without collaborative partnerships,” he said. “These partnerships are characterised by transparency, trust and shared problem-solving.”
He linked recent hurricane relief operations, including more than 200 major escorts of supplies to western Jamaica, to effective collaboration across agencies. Dr McKenzie reminded the graduates that leadership also requires attention to the welfare and mental health of their teams, particularly in the wake of disasters such as Hurricane Melissa. “We have to ensure that they are taken care of,” he said. “That commitment can be sustained and multiplied when we have commanders who motivate by being concerned about their welfare and their well-being.”
He added …“The future of law enforcement depends on effective leadership that prioritises community engagement, accountability, professional development, collaboration and mental health – ensuring a safer and more secure environment for all.”
