By Carlena Knight
It was a celebratory occasion at Government House earlier yesterday as retired Superintendent of Police Cosmos Marcelle became the latest recipient of the Queen’s Police Medal (QPM) for his contribution to national security and public safety.
After receiving the award, Marcelle not only thanked his family and friends for their support, but he also thanked his mentors for their input in his long career in the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda (RPFAB), which he joined in 1969 after migrating from St Kitts and Nevis.
“I wish to place on record my sincerest appreciation to the chairman of the Police Service Commission [PSC] and other members of the commission for their tremendous support over the years. There are three commissioners of police (two are with us today), Sir Wright George and Mr Elton Martin and Mr Edric Potter have all played significant roles throughout my policing career,” Marcelle said.
Both Sir Wright and Martin were on the staff at the then Langfords Police Academy and taught Marcelle in 1969 by “instilling discipline” in him which he said “was the foundation of his career”.
Marcelle retired from the RPFAB on May 18, 1998 after serving for a number of years in different departments like traffic, CID, licensing and transport division and Government House.
After his retirement, he served as a lecturer at the Sir Wright F George Police Academy and worked at the Elite Island Resorts.
He currently serves as a member of the PSC.
Marcelle also took the time to remind current officers to abide by the oath they took.
“Remember a police officer is seen as a teacher and counsellor and friend. As such, I humbly wish to share this prestigious medal with the entire rank and file of the police force. I encourage you to take the job seriously and to be the best you can be so that when you retire from the service you can look back and say like Paul the Apostle ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course’.
“I charge you to love yourselves, love your country and serve with dignity,” he added.
Police Commissioner Atlee Rodney who was also present at the ceremony, commended his friend and mentor on his prestigious accolade.
“I am indeed humbled at this point not just to be invited to this auspicious occasion but to be given the opportunity to say a few words. When men like Mr Marcelle and others, including myself, step out in this career path of policing, we did it with dedication and commitment, not thinking about any awards and rewards. What we have been doing — and Mr. Marcelle is an example of that — is giving quality service to human beings in the form of being an efficient police officer and, today, to be recognised and awarded, it must bring a sense of fulfillment.
“Today, I am happy to share in this moment because I have seen a friend, a mentor and someone who has been a tower of support for my own personal development as a police officer. I had the opportunity to work with Mr Marcelle and I have learned a lot from him,” Rodney said.
Rodney was also a recipient of the same award in 2020.
The Queen’s Police Medal is awarded to police officers for gallantry or a specially distinguished record in police specific services of conspicuous merit.
The medal was established on 7th July 1909 as the King’s Police Medal (KPM) in the UK, inspired by the need to recognise the gallantry of the police officers.
Renamed the King’s Police and Fire Services Medal (KPFSM) in 1940, it was replaced on 19th May 1954 by the Queen’s Police Medal (QPM) and awarded for Distinguished Service.