An Exploration of Deterrent and Motivating Factors for Entry into Policing in Jamaica

While the topics of deterrent and motivating factors for entry into the police profession are well researched and documented in North America, Europe, and other jurisdictions, scholarly research on the phenomenon is scarce in the Caribbean. Furthermore, studies utilising qualitative approaches and police recruits to examine motivations and deterrents (barriers) for entry into policing in the Caribbean are even rarer. As a result, this study utilised a qualitative approach to examine potential deterrent and motivating factors for entry into the Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF) through the lens of police recruits. Qualitative data were gathered from a cohort of Jamaican police recruits (N = 67) via a qualitative strand that was embedded within a survey instrument to police recruits in 2017 and which formed part of a larger study on policing in the Caribbean. The data were analysed using thematic analysis to determine the major deterrent and motivating factors for entry into the JCF. The analysis indicated six main themes related to motivations for entering the JCF, namely: (1) personal connections to the police, (2) citizen security and enforcement, (3) personal development and self-improvement, (4) being an exemplar to others, (5) socio-economic stability, and (6) positive perceptions of the police. The data also revealed three main themes related to deterrent factors for entry into the JCF, namely: (1) negative perception of the JCF, (2) the lengthy recruiting process, and (3) perceptions of police corruption within the JCF.