JCF honours fallen cops

As the Jamaica Constabulary Force Band performed Chronixx's I Can inside the AC Marriott Hotel last Friday, family members of late trainee constable Desmond Thompson were overcome with grief.

With tears streaming down her face, his wife, Soyanna Thompson, gently hugged one of their daughters while a grief counsellor offered words of comfort. Releasing the embrace, she looked up at a monitor displaying a photograph of her husband before bowing her head in sorrow once more.

Thompson and her family were among dozens who attended the JCF's Annual Luncheon for Children of Fallen Officers. Speaking with THE STAR, the widow described Thompson as a goal-driven man who sought to better his life for the sake of his family.

"No matter what my husband was going through, he was always joyful as he was just a very strong person," she said.

"He wanted to become a soldier and when that didn't work out, he tried the JCF and became a district constable, but he wanted to elevate more, so he began his journey of becoming a constable," she added.

Tragically, on April 15, 2025, Thompson's journey came to an abrupt end when he collapsed and died during training at the Tranquility Bay campus of the National Police College in St Elizabeth. His death at age 35 also brought a sudden end to a 15-year marriage.

"I really miss him. He loved his two daughters and stepson like life. I miss his smile and the way he would joke around," she said.

"The feeling I got on the day he died was and is still unexplainable. Even before he died, he called the children on video call to show them how shine his shoes were and they were just joking around. It was always like that--we were just always joking and teasing each other.

"We always looked forward to the times when he got a chance to drop by as he trained. We really miss him," Thompson said.

During the luncheon, Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake told the children that the event holds deep significance and reaffirmed the force's commitment to the welfare of its members and families.

"We are firm in our promise that the loved ones of those who made the ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten and will never stand alone," he said.

"I want you to remember something very important: that your mother or father was a hero, and not only because they served the JCF, but because they truly loved you. Everything they stood for, including courage and honour, was part of the future they hoped to build for you," Blake added.

Traditionally held in November, the annual luncheon for children of fallen officers was this year scheduled to coincide with Interpol's International Day of Remembrance for Fallen Officers, commemorated annually on March 7. The ceremony paid tribute to several fallen officers, ensuring that their legacies live on through the children they loved.

Constable Eric Evan, who died in a vehicular collision last December, was also remembered as a dedicated officer and role model. During a portion of the ceremony, his infant son gleefully slid from his mother's arms to play with members of the JCF before returning to her embrace to fall asleep.

Camoya Condappa, wife of police constable Christopher Condappa, attended with their four daughters. Her eyes welled with tears as she told THE STAR that a part of her died with her husband last December when he took his final breath. The 34-year-old, assigned to the Moneague Traffic Department, died on December 9 following a motor vehicle collision in St Ann.

"The day that he died, I felt like a piece of me went with him. It's like I lost a piece of my identity. Time stopped for a moment the day he passed away; even now I can't believe that he is no longer with us. It feels surreal just looking at his pictures alongside the other fallen officers," she said.

Camoya shared that their love story began in high school, and their marriage produced four daughters, whom she said were the apple of Condappa's eye.

"We have been married for 11 years, but we were together for 19 years since high school. We have four daughters, and I really miss him being around them because they were his world. He was a great chef and provider. He was always very happy, and you could depend on him to tell you a good story," she said.