Humiliating ‘error’
Legal battle looms over policewoman’s cancelled promotion
Published:Saturday | January 18, 2025 | 12:09 AMLivern Barrett/Senior Staff Reporter
A police detective who was promoted to the rank of sergeant, then had it rescinded a day later, is fighting to get back her promotion.
Already, Detective Constable Alecia Hutchinson has hired an attorney who has since written to Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake, hinting at legal action.
“Our client would prefer to focus on criminal investigations and intelligence gathering rather than fighting in court with the organisation which she enjoys working for,” her attorney, Donnovan Collins said in the letter obtained by The Gleaner.
Hutchinson, who is assigned to the Manchester Police, was among 16 police personnel who were promoted to the rank of sergeant on September 19 last year.
‘Emotional distress’
The announcement was published in the Force Orders, the official internal communication organ for members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.
However, the next day, according to Collins, Hutchinson was told by head of the Manchester Police, Deputy Superintendent Carey Duncan, that the promotion was an “error” and had been rescinded.
Duncan indicated that he was acting on the instructions of the Police High Command, Collins claimed in his letter.
That reversal was confirmed in the Force Orders published one week later on September 26.
“The promotion appearing for [regulation number redacted] D/Cons Alecia K Hutchinson … to the rank of sergeant is cancelled,” the Force Orders stated.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the member remains a D/Cons.”
The reversal has caused Hutchinson “great humiliation” and “severe emotional distress”, according to her attorney.
Nearly four months later, on January 12 this year, Hutchinson was recognised with a plaque for her “committed and dedicated service to the Manchester Division Criminal Investigation Branch”.
In 2015, Hutchinson was freed by a judge at the St James Parish Court of corruption charges related to the 2013 escape of a man who was in custody at the Freeport Police Station, also in St James.
It was alleged that she collected $200,000 from the girlfriend of the detainee to help with his release in January 2013.
However, after a trial, then Resident Magistrate Carolyn Tie ruled that prosecutors had not proved the case against Hutchinson.
The commanding officer for the Manchester Police declined to comment on the reason for the reversal, noting that “promotions are in the purview of the commissioner of police”.
“The commissioner promotes or demotes. I can’t comment on that,” he said.
But Collins believes his client is being victimised because of allegations which he said were tested and dismissed by a court.
He said this would be a breach of constitutional and other laws.
He cited Section 16 (5) of the constitution, which indicates that every person charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until they are found guilty.
According to Collins, Hutchinson remained on suspension for over two years after the charges were dismissed.
He disclosed, too, that the JCF attempted to have his client face an internal court of enquiry, but said this was later abandoned.
“It is … unfortunate that despite her hard work, which has been recognised by some members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force High Command, she is still being victimised because of a matter for which she has maintained her innocence,” Collins said.
He urged the police commissioner to ensure that the promotion is restored “so that this matter does not have to add to the already packed court system”.