Hanover police kick off year of activities with community praise and worship
Published:Saturday | January 3, 2026 | 12:08 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
Against the background of a 54 per cent reduction in murders in Hanover for 2025 compared with 2024, as well as a 53 per cent reduction in shootings over the period, the Hanover Police Division has started 2026 in a similar manner as it did 2025, with a community praise and worship service in the Hopewell town square in that parish.
It was on January 3 last year that Superintendent Andrew Nish, commanding officer for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Hanover Division, along with several of his officers, launched the community praise and worship initiative with a promise to take it across the parish. The police also planned to use it as one of their tools to reach people in their different communities within the parish.
“Part of what we do in the JCF is to build relationships, and this event forms part of the building of relationships within this division,” Nadine Murray-Brown, deputy superintendent of police and territorial officer for Hanover, told The Gleaner during the 2026 staging of the event in Hopewell on Friday.
She pointed out that, last year, a total of four such community praise and worship sessions were held, in the communities of Sandy Bay, Lucea and Green Island, respectively, adding that, for 2026, the plan is to stage many more such sessions in more communities.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
“Of course, we start here in Hopewell but we will go right across the division with this initiative, to build relationships, not just with our residents within the parish, but with all stakeholders,” she stated.
Murray-Brown emphasised that the reduction in major crimes across the parish, which these sessions have helped in achieving, is considered a big deal and worth celebrating by all concerned.
“For 2026, we (the JCF) want to have a further reduction in violent crimes. We want our citizens to be comfortable, even as we reel through the effects of Hurricane Melissa, and so the message that we want to send out to one and all is that peace is the order of the day,” she emphasised. She added that, whatever the police can do to establish that level of peace will be done, and that the community praise and worship events are a small part of what is being done towards that achievement.
Police Corporal Marlando Gorden, of the Hanover Police Division, who delivered the main message at the community event, described the series of events as successful and worthwhile, as they have resulted in changes in the lives of several attendees.
“Certainly we have seen persons giving their hearts to the Lord, in the streets, as we pass through the major towns of Hanover with this initiative. In addition to that, we have seen a great decline in major crimes and domestic violence within the parish,” he stated.
He noted that, while the community praise and worship events have helped, they are not the only reason for the decline in crimes across the parish.
“There is a multiplicity of effort from our commanding officer, Superintendent Nish, driving several initiatives that have contributed to this great decline in crimes within the parish,” he emphasised.
He insisted that the community events are playing their part in leading persons away from violence and negativity.
Gordon stated that his message at the different community meetings to be held later in the year will be to remind the residents of the parish of the things for which they ought to be grateful, and for them to be united in their efforts to see Hanover excel once more.