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Superintendent Aaron Fletcher, head of the St Andrew North Division, will be spending much of Christmas Day with his 89-year-old mother, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and reflect on the reason for the season.

"My mother is up in age and I don't know if I will get a chance to spend another Christmas with her, so I will be spending at least half of the day at work then the rest of the day with her. Right now every day with her matters," he said.

Fletcher said that since joining the police force 23 years ago, he has always worked on Christmas Day, something that is common throughout the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

"It is normal for us to be out at this time so that other persons can be safe. Now that I am a police manager, I feel as if I am obliged to give those of the lower ranks, who have to leave their family during the holidays, some form of moral support, and show that I am there with them just the same. I try to be there with these men and women, to be on the run and just show them that I will always be there with them," he said.

Some form of emptiness

Fletcher said that persons, including police officers, may feel some form of emptiness whenever they are away from their loved ones, especially during Christmas. He, however, said that "There is a bigger picture at hand, and we have to remember that this is the sacrifice that we make for our country."

"There is this saying in our local police circle that a good police officer doesn't always have a good family life because your commitment to the cause deprives you of the opportunity to do so. We try our best to facilitate members with one of the three holidays in the Yuletide season though, so we give them a chance to choose which day they would want to be with family," Fletcher said.