Glenroy Sinclair, Assignment Co-ordinator

He has been named one of the no-nonsense, hard-working members of the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) over the past four decades.

Over that time, Senior Superintendent Calvin Benjamin demonstrated that he was one of the country's leading, fearless crime fighters.

But like the popular phrase 'all good things must come to an end', SSP Benjamin said goodbye to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) a week ago during a pre-retirement party held in his honour at the Police Officers' Club, St Andrew.

"He is a genuine and fearless investigator. If he has no evidence, then he is not coming to arrest you," declared retired SSP Dudley Bryan.

As a youngster who grew up in Chapleton, Clarendon, SSP Benjamin told the story which influenced him to joined the police force.

He said that it was the immaculate attire of two policemen in his hometown which prompted him to enrol in the organisation.

"I used to admire the uniforms of these policemen, plus, I was so touched by the many good deeds done by the police. When I decided to join the police force, not even my grandmother knew," Benjamin explains.

He remembered that it was about 20 of them who sat the test at the Frankfield Police Station, Clarendon, but only two were successful.

"It was after I passed the test, then I told my grandmother, who objected at first," the retired senior officer said.

In March 1970, he was recruited, and began training at Port Royal. Twenty-one of them were in the batch, but over the months, 10 dropped out, and, on September 24, 1970, the remaining 11 graduated.

"This was one of the smallest batches to have graduated in the JCF," said Benjamin.

No honeymoon

There was no honeymoon for him. The then young Benjamin was immediately posted to the hotbed of Hannah Town in West Kingston, where he made a name for himself as a fearless front-line policeman.

"Of the 11 of us who graduated in my batch, I am the only one who rose above the rank of sergeant. All my other batchmates either resigned or retired," said Benjamin.

At his pre-retirement function held on November 28, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Paula Llewellyn, Acting Police Commissioner Owen Ellington, attorneys-at-law Churchill Neita and Wentworth Charles, the Reverened Garnett Roper and journalist Desmond Richards, spoke about the high-quality work Benjamin did over the 40 years.