92 arrests for electricity theft in 2020;10 since January
THE Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) says 92 arrests were made last year for electricity theft. Of these, 67 took place in the parishes of Kingston and St Andrew, and 10 in St Catherine.
And since the start of 2021 there have been 10 arrests for the illegal abstraction of electricity, the JPS said.
The light and power company said it continues to fight against theft using several methods, ranging from the more obvious removal of illegal wires to the use of smart devices to detect concealed theft. JPS teams also conducted 81,623 account audits over the period January to December last year. From these, 8,430 irregularities were discovered.
In addition to these measures, the company said it has also been carrying out a number of social intervention initiatives, through its Community Renewal Programme, to help educate and empower persons to receive legal electricity supply. This programme is active in a number of communities in the Corporate Area, St Catherine and St James, said the company.
“Moving forward in 2021, JPS will continue to use more innovative approaches which include advanced technology. Customers are also now able to assist in the fight for fairness by reporting theft through the recently launched MYJPS Mobile app,” said the light and power company.
“JPS is also reminding all persons that in addition to theft being a crime, it is also extremely dangerous – putting property and lives at great risk. Persons are being reminded to set the right example for their children and to do their part to make Jamaica a better place for families and businesses alike. Persons caught stealing electricity may be arrested, as well as back-billed for up to six years,” said the company.