From left: Assistant Commissioner Clifton Blake - JCF, Area 1; Richard O. Black - CEO, PCOA; Senior Superintendent Steve McGreggor - Freeport Division; Bishop Charles Dufour - Chairman, PCOA; Dr. Patrick Allen - member, PCOA; Deputy Commissioner Jevene Bent - JCF; Tony Lewars - member, PCOA; Rudolph Hamilton - member, PCOA; Oliver Clarke - member, PCOA and Arlene Harrison-Henry - member, PCOA.-photo by Adrian Frater

Members of the Police (Civilian Oversight) Authority (PCOA) earlier this month visited the St. James Divisional Headquarters of the police force at Catherine Hall, Montego Bay Freeport. This was the second on-site visit made by the Authority to a Jamaica Con-stabulary Force (JCF) Division since its inception.

The members, along with senior officers of the force, inspected several areas of the operations and administration of the division on Tuesday, May 15. Of significant note was the stated commitment by Senior Superintendent Steve McGreggor to combating crime and increased community outreach within his division.

During the visit, the Chairman of the PCOA, the Most Reverend Bishop Charles Dufour, announced the appointment of Richard O. Black, as chief executive officer of the authority.

Mr. Black is a certified fraud examiner, a certified protection officer, and has over 34 years training and experience in business management, security management, anti-kidnapping, anti-money laun-dering, asset protection and risk management among other related disciplines.

He has previously held positions as senior director - health, safety, security and emergency prepared-ness at the University of Tech-nology, Jamaica, as group security manager for the Grace-Kennedy Group of Companies with responsibilities for securing its assets globally and as a director of Security Administrators Limited.

Mr. Black is past chairman of the local chapter of the American Society for Industrial Security, member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, member of the International Foundation of Protection Officers, member of the Reid Institute - Interrogation and Investigations, past member of the Crime Stop Committee of St. Ann and Distinguished Secretary and Past President of the Kiwanis Club of Ocho Rios.