January 04, 2021 – A reflective Major General Antony Anderson delivered a message that charged the men and women of the Constabulary to seek out the opportunities created in times of crisis as he recounted the year that was 2020 at the Force’s annual Devotion on Monday, January 4, 2020.
Speaking from the conference room at his Old Hope Road, St Andrew office, Major General Anderson asserted that, perceived challenges at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have proven to be opportunities for the Force to connect with the public it serves in new ways.
“The current opportunity has given us opportunities where we can reach out to our people in new and even better ways. We have the opportunity to have our public have greater insight into the JCF–the parts they don’t usually see,” he said.
Major General Anderson recalled the Force’s Stronger Together virtual concert in April, last month’s virtual Christmas special and said that even meetings had been changed due to the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Sometimes when you’re in the thick of it, you don’t realize what you’re doing and I just want to… say, as Commissioner, I am proud and also grateful for the way the members stepped up in crisis to provide an opportunity for the Force. Thank you all for that,” he said.
He urged everyone to look for ways the lessons that we learned from 2020 can be shared to help others who may not yet have overcome their own crisis.
Looking forward to 2021, he said, “This will be a year when we make even greater sacrifices and be even more persistent in our policing efforts. The safety of those we serve to depend on it. Let us look for opportunities in every crisis… Let’s have a great year,” he added.
Pastor Dr Gary Buddoo -Fletcher, the Force’s Chaplain, delivered the spiritual address. Using an analogy of the redwood tree, which gets its strength and stability by interlocking its roots, he encouraged the men and women of the Constabulary to band together and deepen their experience with Christ.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force hosts its devotion annually on the first Monday in January. It is a tradition that dates back decades and is used as a launchpad for the Force as it begins each New Year.
