Brief History
The Jamaica Rural Police Force is most popularly known as The District Constable; or D.C , and is now the sole Auxiliary to the Jamaica Constabulary Force. District Constables are appointed by the Commissioner of Police and are generally assigned to Police Stations within the districts they reside. In recent years, however, there has been a paradigm changes where District Constables are not only assigned to work at police stations, but also in the non-geography sections of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. Their powers and authority, like the regular Police, extend to all parts of the Island. Appointments of District Constables are published in the Jamaica Gazette and Force Orders. Male and female can be appointed.
The United District Constables Association came into existence
The District Constable (DC) is concerned with community patrolling and policing in order to minimize the incidence of crime. District Constables normally reside in the community that forms part of their area of responsibility. The current strength of the DC is 1325.
The history of law enforcement in Jamaica began in 1716 when night watchmen were appointed to serve the cities of Port Royal, Kingston, and the parishes of Saint Catherine and Saint Andrew.
In 1832 the first attempt to establish a permanent police force began, and William Ramsay was appointed Inspector General of the police force in 1835. This force continued in service until 1865, the year of the Morant Bay Rebellion. This uprising demonstrated the vulnerability of peace and law on Jamaica and caused the establishment of an improved police force, the Jamaica Constabulary Force. The force began operation with 984 members, under the direction of an Inspector General appointed by the British Governor to the island, and continues to carry out police duties to the present day.
HISTORY OF THE POLICE FEDERATION
The Police Federation came into existence following the 1938 labour unrest which gave birth to the modern trade union movement and the two major parties. At the time, Rank and File Policemen displayed great interest in the work of the trade unions and were enthusiastic about the prospect of worker representation within the Force. This was not to be the rules of the Police Force bar union membership. Which Rank and File Members of the Force denied representation; this was not the situation with the higher ranks, as Gazetted Officers were represented by a Staff Association. It was a period in the history of the Constabulary when black native policemen could not get past the rank of Sergeant Major, today’s equivalent of the rank of inspector. In order to address the issue of representation for members of the Force, the Colonial Officer dispatched a representative to the United Kingdom to study the British Police Federation model, for local adoption.
BIRTH OF THE FEDERATION
In 1944, the Police Federation was created by the provision of Sub-Section 1 of Section 67 of the Jamaica Constabulary Force Act which stipulates: “for the purpose of enabling the Sub-Officers and Constables of the Force to consider and bring to the notice at the Commissioner of Police and minister of National Security all matters affecting their general welfare and efficiency, there shall be established in accordance with the second Schedule an organization to be called the Police Federation which shall act through Branch Boards. Central Conferences and a Central Committee. As provided in that Schedule.”