Jamaican News

Novelette Grant to Receive Order of Distinction

Thirty-seven year veteran of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), retired Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Novelette Grant, is among the 130 Jamaicans who will be recognised with a national honour this year for their exceptional contributions to the development of the country.

Ms. Grant, is to receive the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Officer (OD) for her sterling contribution to the JCF at the National Honours and Awards Ceremony, scheduled for Monday (October 15), National Heroes Day, on the lawns of King’s House.

Ms. Grant, who has held several top positions in the JCF, including briefly acting as Commissioner of Police in 2017, says she is grateful to have been recognised in this significant way by the country.

“It is always gratifying for anybody who has served their country to be recognized for their service and the contribution they have made. It is very rewarding to be recognised,” she tells JIS News.

Known for her passion for stamping out crime, with a strong focus on community policing, Ms. Grant says a simple “thank you” from persons whose lives she has touched, has made her call to service that more worthwhile and rewarding.

“When you show care, concern and kindness to people and then you move on and you didn’t even remember about it and they meet you up somewhere down the road and tell you where they were when you had that interaction with them and where they are now and tell you thanks, I don’t know that there is anything more gratifying than that,” she says.

Ms. Grant states she has had to interact with many individuals over the course of her career who were experiencing “serious traumatic situations of violence and distress” and she is pleased she was able to provide them with advice and support and given them tools to change their situation.

The former police officer, who enlisted in the JCF October 26, 1981, is the second female officer in the history of the entity to have acted in the post of Commissioner of Police, the first being retired DCP, Jevene Bent.

She is also the second police woman to have held the position of DCP when she was appointed in October 2014. In this post, she was assigned as the Head of the Administration and Support Services portfolio.

Ms. Grant also held the position of Director of the Constabulary Staff College, where she designed and implemented leadership and management training programs which benefitted officers in Jamaica and the Region.  She has done considerable work in gender matters and is now amongst the vanguard of those tackling domestic violence in the region.

In addition, she served several divisions as a Detective and in general policing prior to her entrance in the Officers Corp.

Ms. Grant was the Commanding Officer for the Area Five geographic formation (Assistant Commissioner) from January 2011 to October 2014.  Her insightful and inspirational leadership led to a reduction in reports of major crimes during her stewardship.

She was also Head of the JCF Reform and Modernization Programme, serving as the JCF Personnel Officer (Superintendent) where she developed and implemented an improved appraisal system which was the watershed for the practice of Human Resource Management in the organisation.

Under the National Honours and Awards Act of 1969, formal recognition of service to Jamaica and its citizens may be given by the conferment of the six Orders of the Societies of Honour, and two national awards.

They are the Order of National Hero; Order of the Nation (ON); Order of Excellence (OE); Order of Merit (OM); Order of Jamaica (OJ); Order of Distinction, Commander Class (CD) and Officer Class (OD); as well as the award of the Badge of Honour and the Medal of Honour.

The Orders are the highest of the national awards, and recognise merit in terms of achievement and service, while Decorations and Awards are used to recognise gallantry, meritorious, and long and faithful service to the nation.

These civil honours may be conferred on any distinguished citizen of Jamaica or another country, who has achieved eminent local or international distinction in areas including science, the arts, and literature, among others.

During the National Honours and Awards Ceremony, Members of the uniformed service will also be recognized.

source: www.jis.gov.jm

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