Judith Fuller was one of the more than 400 people who gathered under tents, sat on perimeter walls or took shade under trees yesterday as they sought to take one of the positions advertised for security officers and supervisors within the Jamaica Ports Security Corps Limited.

Fuller journeyed from Denbigh, Clarendon, to arrive at the Elletson Road Police Station at 9 yesterday morning.

The station, which was being used as a recruitment ground by the Ports Security Corps, played host to people travelling from as far as St Mary, St Thomas and Clarendon to apply for one of the 120 available positions.

However, the large crowd that gathered came as no surprise to Judith Sharras, human resource manager at the Ports Security Corps.

"Usually, the response is great whenever we advertise, whether through media or by word of mouth," Sharras said. The advertisement for the latest recruitment drive was published in The Sunday Gleaner.

Many people who arrived as early as 6 yesterday morning had to return home because they were not properly attired.

"We came from before 6 this morning but were not properly dressed and went home to change," said one member of a group of women sitting on the perimeter wall of the complex.

Sharras admitted that her organisation "had to send home a number of persons this morning because they were not properly attired or did not have the required documentation".

In full swing

Around 10 yesterday morning, people were waiting to take an examination while the documents of others were being processed.

Some people were slipping into more comfortable shoes as soon as their documents had been processed.

"Whoa, the shoes a burn mi!" complained one woman who said at the same time that she has not worn shoes in years.

Those who are successfully recruited will then have to go through four weeks of mandatory training in police, maritime and aviation procedures before becoming special district constables who will work at the island's ports.

- Shernette Gillispie

Latoya Williams changes her shoes for more comfortable slippers yesterday after taking part in the recruitment drive