Veteran district constable to receive Badge of Honour

After nearly four decades of unwavering dedication to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), District Constable Jean Smith-Braham is be recognised with one of Jamaica’s distinguished awards.

Her long and faithful service will be formally recognised on National Heroes’ Day (October 20), when she will be awarded the Badge of Honour for 38 years of remarkable service with the JCF, serving community and country.

“I’m sort of emotional but I’m feeling good. It’s deserved. I have done a lot,” said Smith-Braham, in an interview with JIS News.

The veteran law officer has spent her years at the Lacovia Police Station in St Elizabeth, which is also her home parish. Her career in law enforcement was deeply influenced by her family. Born and raised in Burnt Savannah, she grew up watching her father, the late Stafford Smith, serve as a Special Constable.

Smith-Braham remembered him as a no-nonsense yet loving and intelligent man, whose example inspired her own ambition to join the police force. This influence also extended to other family members, including a deceased cousin who worked at the Barnett Street Police Station in Montego Bay, St. James.

“So, I am sort of used to the policing. It’s coming from far [and] that’s why I said I developed a love for the force. I was appointed on the 16th day of October 1986 and today, I have no regrets. I love my job,” Smith-Braham said.

“I want to thank an ex-District Constable, Roy Mullings. He was one of the persons who at the time helped and motivated me to join the job,” she added. As a District Constable, Smith-Braham’s role has centred on serving the community she knows intimately. The position requires her to perform guard duty, patrols, serve summons and much more.

SIGNIFICANT TRANSFORMATION

Smith-Braham has witnessed, firsthand, the significant transformation in the JCF over the decades. In fact, she recalled a time when district constables were paid via handwritten claim sheets and wore their own plain clothes.

“We never used to wear uniform. We used to have to wear our plain clothes. In fact, we had to buy [clothing] material and build our own clothes, and so on, as a district constable,” she outlined.

“It was former Police Commissioner, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, (who) when he came in, he said that he can’t have his district constables out there and cannot identify them. He said we have to wear uniform. So that was when the Force prepared uniforms for us,” she added.For those considering a career with the JCF, Smith-Braham said it is a good job that earns respect and the opportunity to serve. However, she cautioned that it requires leaving behind any bad habits, as the Force will not tolerate any negative behaviour.

Instead, the men and women who sign up for the JCF should do so with dedication and commitment, noting that the entity offers a rewarding life for those who serve faithfully.

“I would tell them that they can make a good life out of the JCF, but they have to dedicate themselves to the job...,” Smith-Braham emphasised.

Even as she looks forward to retirement in 2026, she is in no rush to leave the job she has grown to love.

After retirement, the veteran officer plans to divide her time between Jamaica and the United States, where one of her daughters resides, while still maintaining close ties with other family members at home, including her grandchildren. In the meantime, as she prepares to receive the Badge of Honour, Smith-Braham extended her gratitude to the prime minister and the governor-general for making the recognition possible. She also extended thanks to District Constable Damion Pryce, president of the United District Constables Association, for his respect and support.

“I am very, very grateful and thankful for the award, and I will ever uphold dignity and respect for the people of Jamaica on a whole,” she said.