Outgoing commissioner of police, Major General Anthony Anderson, officially passed on the baton to Dr Kevin Blake as the country’s newest commissioner of police.

Blake was officially installed as the country’s commissioner of police on Monday, March 18, during the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Change of Command Ceremony.

The newly minted commissioner in his remarks, while being mindful of the challenging task ahead, said he is prepared for the journey.

” I rise to be the commissioner of police, the chief constable for all Jamaicans. Mindful of the weight of this office and what it requires of me and my boss always remind me of the weight that this office comes with. But ladies and gentlemen, I am prepared and I am ready to bring the best of my intellect, my training, personal discipline and emotional intelligence to lead this Jamaica Constabulary Force to be the next best edition of itself,” Blake said.

The newly appointed commissioner pledged his unwavering support to the men and women of the JCF in equipping them with the needed resources and training to execute their duties.

“My friends, the JCF is at a point of inflection, we are forging forward in a flip stream of transformation that we are confident will expand beyond us to attract every law-abiding Jamaican to join our transformation journey. Ladies and gentlemen we are a modern and modernizing police force, our tradecraft is exceptional, our policing methods and technology is a contemporary, innovative, making us the most advanced and admired police force in the region,” Blake stressed.

He further said the JCF will continue to enhance its intelligence capability, leveraging data-driven insights and employing cutting-edge tools to stay ahead of criminal activities.

“Community engagement will remain paramount to the planning and decision-making. In all our police divisions, our key priority is to maintain open lines of communication and cooperation with people to create safer neighbourhoods to build trust and encourage our communities to proudly play their part in the shared responsibility of public safety,” the new commissioner said.

Blake, in his remarks, also extended his appreciation to the outgoing commissioner for his leadership of the JCF over the last six years.

“I offer my heartfelt appreciation to you, Major General Anthony Anderson, our outgoing commissioner, for his highly capable leadership of the JCF over the past 6 years. As a global thought and a professional in global and local security matters, General Anderson has made an indelible mark on the JCF, catalysing us into an era of unprecedented and irreversible modernisation and transformation. Sir, your legacy is evident for all of us to see and we laud your immense measure of your contribution,’ Blake expressed.