MUCH FOCUS ON UPGRADING OF JCF INFRASTRUCTURE IN 2010
By: Lesline Gilzene
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| The newly refurbished Hope Bay Police Station in Portland. |
The infrastructure of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) received much attention in 2010, with upgrading work undertaken on several buildings to improve accommodation for police personnel.
In May, Minister of National Security, Senator the Hon. Dwight Nelson opened the Anchovy Police Station in St. James, to which the police officers were relocated. The building was refurbished and retrofitted at a cost of approximately $5.4 million.
The Hope Bay Police in Portland also received a new home in February, after the Ministry refurbished a cottage at a cost of approximately $10 million. The three bedroom cottage was previously used to accommodate teaching staff from the Hope Bay All-Age School in Portland. It was modified with partitions put in to provide working space.
A new Police Station was opened in Salt Spring, St. James, in May. The Montego Hills Police Station was commissioned to combat criminal activities in the area, providing space for more police officers to respond quickly to the needs of the community, particularly as the terrain is difficult to traverse.
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| Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Dianne McIntosh (left), presents Diane Lowe with a certificate in customer service essentials, at a graduation ceremony in April, as part of the Ministry of National Security's Community Safety and Security Initiative. |
Corporate entities, National Commercial Bank (NCB), LIME and Supreme Ventures (SVL) jointly contributed $6 million to restore the Darling Street Police Station in downtown Kingston, which was damaged during the civil unrest in sections of West Kingston during May.
The Alligator Pond Police Station in Manchester received a well needed facelift in January. The station was painted by ex-police officers, while windows were replaced by the bauxite and alumina company, Alpart, through its Community Council, and the Alligator Pond community at a cost of over $200,000.
Not only were police stations refurbished, but the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) and community policing capabilities received a significant boost, with three customised mobile police offices and three fully equipped mobile forensic units donated by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), in July.
The mobile police offices, which are equipped with technical equipment to enhance service delivery, and a refrigerator to preserve forensic evidence, were provided at a cost of some $61 million. The units are also equipped with a generator, lighting, tent and other technical equipment.
The JCF also received support from international partner, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which handed over five computers to the Force in September. The computers were handed over to the Transnational Crimes and Narcotics Division and other departments of the JCF, to assist with drug interdiction and training activities.
Both the JCF and Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) received fuel valued at $5 million for their vehicles, to support their crime fighting efforts. The 50,000 litres of fuel were provided by the Energy and Mining Ministry, through Petrojam Limited.
Training was also high on the Security Forces agenda in 2010, as a number of personnel were trained in various areas. In February, a cohort of 20 personnel from the JCF and the JDF graduated from a maritime training interdiction course. The course was aimed at improving the island’s capacity to deal with transnational organised crimes, which threaten maritime space.
It lasted for three weeks, and was designed for junior officers, enlisted maritime boarding officers and small boat coxswains assigned to maritime law enforcement missions. Participants were instructed in basic principles of protecting high value assets (vessel or land facilities) from waterborne threats.
The Jamaica Military Aviation School (JMAS) in Kingston graduated its second and third batches of trainee pilots in June and December. Four graduates, Lieutenants Craig Lewis-Mayne, Joel Nelson, Jaime Walsh, and Brandon Chambers, were presented with their military wings in June, while in December two graduates, Lieutenants Damian McKay and Jermaine Frances were presented with their wings.
A total of 800 police recruits were added to the JCF in 2010, to increase the manpower of the force, and 65 new Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) recruits graduated from the training academy in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine. The JCF also trained over 3,300 persons in community policing. Some 41 officers were specially trained to deliver one-day workshops on community policing.
Training was also provided for existing officers, as the Strategic Review Implementation Team (SRIT) graduated its first batch of trainers, who are expected to lead the charge in improving the level of professionalism and accountability within the Force.
The programme, which commenced in 2009, have so far trained 64 trainers. Over the last 12 months, 80 per cent of the JCF’s managerial staff has been trained in leadership and staff development. They are expected to lead a structured process of training police rank and file officers.