By Sugar Ray Thomas
Inspector of police, Nicola Lewis challenged the dark clouds of poverty hanging over her life and propelled herself to become a woman of worth who has a heart for helping people. That’s alongside dedicating her life to serving and protecting the citizens of Jamaica, especially now in St Mary.
Inspector Lewis’ grasp of being an effective leader in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has seen her rising through the ranks for her almost 18 years of unbroken service, from being a constable to inspector.
Recently she has been elevated to serve as an acting deputy superintendent (DSP) in charge of Community Safety and Security Branch (CSSB) in St Mary.
“Tell you what, after almost 18 years, I don’t think I have lost my calling. I have grown to love the job… I’ve gotten the opportunity to work with people and really serve people. My mantra is ‘service over self,’” Insp. Lewis explained in an interview with the North Coast Times.
It was never easy climbing the ladder from poverty, as she grew up in a single-parent household with her mother, Brenda-Lee Hartley.
Insp. Lewis’ journey began in St Margaret’s Bay in Portland, where she grew up with her mother, who had separated from her father, when she was only two-years-old.
“My mother was the main motivator… She was a housekeeper at the time and that didn’t give us much leverage to really afford much and with my father not playing that active support role, it was very hard on her as a single parent. Look, you have to break the cycle of poverty and she said the only way you can do that is for you to get an education,” she explained.
EARLY EDUCATION
With those instructions in mind from her mother, Young Nicola began her education journey at the St Margaret’s Bay Basic School and then on to the St Margaret’s Bay All Age School.
By an entrance examination, she entered Titchfield High after her “phobia” for exams hurt her chances at the Common Entrance.
After Titchfield High she went to Stony Hill HEART Academy, where she was trained in computer skills and accounting for six months. In addition, back at Titchfield High Extension she added another four CXC subjects to the two she passed earlier.
DECISION TO JOIN THE FORCE
Young Nicola then made a life changing decision.
“I applied to join the police force, because my mum was frustrated with me not working having gone through school, so I was exploring all aspects of career opportunities,” Insp. Lewis said.
Though passing the interview and the test, it took a long time for her to be called to the Force. She remained active in her community and got a job as a pre-trained teacher at the Rock Hall All Age School in Portland.
“I spent my time at Rock Hall All Age very engaged with the kids. I was one of the younger teachers there. I got all the active stuff to do. I led the JCDC group going into festival, prepared the kids for sports day and for 4-H club achievement day,” she reminisced.
After a year at the school her time there came to an end and she applied to teachers college. But it was at that time she was called in to begin training as a police officer. She decided on going to the Force.
EARLY CAREER IN THE FORCE
Nicola Lewis joined the force on March 26, 1999 and graduated amongst a batch of 99 officers after six months of training. “Graduation day was a very emotional day, because it was one of the major achievements in my life. Here I was a young girl stepping out on my own, having a career of my own and claiming my part in the scheme of things,” she said, proudly.
Now a constable, Nicola Lewis was transferred to the St Mary division in January of 2000 and has called the parish her home since then, having spent her entire policing career there.
She spent a short time as a probationer in Port Maria and then went on to the Oracabessa and later the Annotto Bay police stations. After approximately three years of service, she joined accident, investigation and reconstruction unit of the Area Two police headquarters in Tower Isle in the parish. “I spent ten years there and that was where I got all my three promotions,” Insp. Lewis noted.
She had been elevated to the rank of sergeant and had been recognized by the Area Two divisional headquarter as the most outstanding sergeant in 2013.
APPOINTMENT AS INSPECTOR
Nicola Lewis continued to be committed to task and further promotion came as she was elevated to the rank of Inspector of police. She was later transferred back to the St Mary division and appointed sub-officer in charge of the Highgate police station.
“I spent three years there actively engaged in the community, where I established the first in St Mary’s history a business watch group in Highgate. This is where we organized the business community so that they can help with their own safety and security. I established several police youth club groups, neighbourhood watches and farmers’ watch in that area,” Insp. Lewis said.
In August of 2016, she was transferred from the Highgate area to be in charge of the Port Maria police station and in March of this year, she was assigned acting deputy superintendent (DSP) for the St Mary Community Safety and Security Branch (CSSB).
“I have no regrets. The job has been very kind to me in terms of elevation, because here I am today, 18 years of service and inspector of police acting as deputy superintendent…” she said.
She had been always involved in sports in the Constabulary Force, playing an active role in athletics for her team, with medals to show for it.
During her time in the Force, she gained a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in guidance and counselling from the International University of the Caribbean (IUC) in 2010.
Being a female leader in a male dominated career, Insp. Lewis explained that she has not faced any major challenges.
LIFE AWAY FROM THE FORCE
Insp. Lewis resides in Rio Nuevo, St Mary and lives with her mother and other relatives. She has no children of her own.
However, she has raised two children of her relatives to ensure that they broke away from the cycle of poverty.
Insp. Lewis also took the decision of being baptized in 2004 and she attends the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
In 2014, Insp. Lewis, along with a past university colleague, Sophia McKenzie from IUC founded the Churches and Community outreach programme in Epworth, St Ann through the Bezer Holiness Church of God. It was out of this programme that the Epworth Police Youth Club was formed, along with a neighbourhood watch. Upon her transfer from Highgate police station, she was awarded by the Esher Police Youth Club in collaboration with the Highgate Business Watch for outstanding community work.
She enjoys watching television, going out to the movies or just sleeping.
“I believe that some of the reasons some women would experience violence is dependency in most cases. It is very important as women to value education and every opportunity we get, we need to educate ourselves so that we can have that level of independence so that we can make our own decisions and we are not subjected to other persons,” Insp. Lewis said.
