A year on, LASCO police honourees continue community impact

Corporal Moesha Allen, Corporal Junior Thompson and Sergeant Shantel Watson proudly display their trophies alongside LASCO Chin Foundation team members - Operations Officer Lisa-Gaye Bender, Programmes Manager Anna-Kay McIntosh Richards, CEO Rosalea Hamilton and LASCO Marketing & Communications Manager Danielle Cunningham - at last year's LASCO/JCF Saluting Our Heroes Awards ceremony.

For Corporals Junior Thompson and Moesha Allen, along with Sergeant Shantel Watson, their year as Top Cops has proven to be quite momentous. The 2024-2025 LASCO/JCF Saluting Our Heroes awardees led transformative, community-focused initiatives and were all promoted officers of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

The three officers were recognised by the LASCO Chin Foundation (LCF) for outstanding service last October and were later surprised with promotions announced during the awards ceremony. The gesture, which broke with JCF tradition, was widely seen as a dual endorsement of their leadership and the growing importance of officers making an impact in the communities they serve.

As the Foundation prepares to open nominations for the 2025-2026 awards, last year’s honourees – two former constables and a former corporal – reflected on how the recognition has shaped their work and expanded their reach.

Bigger Table

Corporal Junior Thompson, who was named the 2024 LASCO Chairman’s Award winner, said the honour provided a platform to elevate his initiatives and enter conversations around national development.

“Receiving the LASCO Chairman’s Award truly expanded my reach, giving me a seat at the table in important conversations about community and nation-building,” he said. “It’s laid a solid foundation for future success and opened the door for even greater impact.”

In addition to overseeing operations at Area 5 Headquarters in St Andrew North, Thompson leads the Cassava Piece Youth Employment and Education Centre – a facility in the same inner-city community where he grew up.

“I want the legacy of today’s JCF to reflect a force that’s driven by transformation – a force for good, where every officer understands their role in building a better nation,” Thompson explained.

(From left) Constable Chevar Landie; Corporal Junior Thompson, 2024-2025 LASCO, JCF Saluting Our Heroes Chairman's Award Winner; Anna-Kay McIntosh Richards, Programmes Manager at the LASCO Chin Foundation; Nurse Fione Collins, 2025-2026 LASCO/NAJ Nurse of the Year; Denese Dacres-Reeves, 1st Vice President of the NAJ and former LASCO/NAJ Nurse of the Year; Jacqueline Pennicook, Director of Nursing Services at Percy Junor Hospital; and Nurse Lavern Smith gather at the Back-to-School Treat led by Corporal Thompson.

The Cassava Piece Youth Employment and Education Centre hosts English and Mathematics CSEC classes, reading sessions for both children and adults, and community events through the Constant Spring Police Youth Club.

With help from the LASCO Chin Foundation and LASCO Ambassadors from the Nurses Association of Jamaica, Thompson led renovation efforts at the facility on Labour Day. He recalled the space prior to its transformation as “not a place that you could sit and learn,” citing poor ventilation and poor infrastructure.

Thompson is positioning the centre as a hub for learning and growth. He hopes to evolve the space into a skills training centre, offering courses in barbering, construction, and electrical installation once it is fully furnished.

Last month, he hosted a back-to-school treat, distributing school supplies to 50 students during a day filled with fun activities and refreshments.

Proud & HYPE

Also recognised was Corporal Moesha Allen, first runner-up for the 2024 Police of the Year title. She now serves as the sub-officer in charge of the Community Safety and Security Unit in the St Andrew South Division and is the founder of the Helping Youth Pursue Excellence (HYPE) Mentorship Programme, which supports at-risk youth. Allen was also honoured with a Prime Minister’s Youth Award for Excellence for her contributions to nation-building.

“I’ve seen up close the struggles that many communities face – the same kind I now serve – because I was born in one of them,” said Allen, who is originally from Rockfort, East Kingston. “I witnessed the effects of crime, family breakdown, and limited opportunities, and I knew I wanted to help make a difference.”

Corporal Moesha Allen of the St. Andrew South Division, first runner-up in the LASCO/JCF Saluting Our Heroes competition, launched several community-based initiatives for youth over the past year.

She said the LASCO Chin Foundation played a critical role in supporting her HYPE initiative, especially through sponsorship of a three-week summer reading camp. More recently, she hosted a back-to-school treat for over 500 children, distributing school supplies, refreshments, and laptops.

“Being named a LASCO ambassador validated the work I’ve been doing in schools and communities. It reassures stakeholders that these [community] efforts are worth supporting,” she said.

Allen’s work extends beyond events. As a trained mentor with the Ministry of Justice’s National Child Diversion Programme, she focuses on behaviour modification, conflict resolution, and building self-respect among youth.

“Policing for me is not just about enforcing the law. It’s about building trust, restoring hope, and creating safer communities,” said Allen who is also an ordained evangelist.

Food for Focus

Sergeant Shantel Watson, second runner-up and a near 10-year veteran of the force, serves with Area One of the Community Safety Branch. Her initiatives include a breakfast feeding programme in Salt Spring, a St James community that often grapples with high levels of violence and poverty.

“Nutrition and technology are two vital areas for community development, as they promote growth and productivity,” Watson noted.

The feeding programme has led to improved school attendance and deeper engagement between police and families.

“As we meet the needs of these students, their parents are able to not just trust us, but partner with us,” she said. “That makes policing easier and more effective.”

Watson also hosts a weekly radio programme, providing safety tips, fielding questions, and strengthening the connection between law enforcement and the public.

“People locally and abroad were able to access information and feel involved in what was happening in Area One – with their police and their communities,” she said.

She credits the Saluting Our Heroes programme  for helping officers become better advocates for their projects.

“It’s an avenue to help build effective leaders who can confidently communicate their projects to wider audiences – to help the public and stakeholders know the work officers of the JCF are doing in the communities.”

Reflecting on the promotions of the LASCO honourees announced by Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake at last year’s awards ceremony Watson said: “Being recognised for community work is one thing, but having it influence my advancement in the Force was unforgettable. That moment with Commissioner Dr Blake is something I’ll always treasure.”

(From left) Corporal Moesha Allen, Corporal Junior Thompson and Sergeant Shantel Watson proudly celebrate their achievements with trophies in hand at the 2024-2025 LASCO/JCF Saluting Our Heroes Awards Ceremony.

25 Years of Honours

The annual LASCO/JCF Saluting Our Heroes Awards – hosted by the LASCO Chin Foundation in partnership with the Jamaica Constabulary Force –  is Jamaica’s premier private-sector initiative celebrating excellence in policing.

This year’s awards ceremony is slated to take place on Friday, October 24, 2025 under the theme: “Transforming through PQT: Celebrating Our Heroes.”

Now in its 25th year, the programme honours officers across the island who exemplify integrity, service, and a commitment to nation-building. Winners are selected based on operational performance, community involvement, leadership, communication, and national awareness. The programme’s highest honour, the Chairman’s Award, recognises one officer whose work stands out for long-term impact.