200 police stations to be repaired
PORT ANTONIO, Portland: NATIONAL SECURITY Minister Dr Horace Chang has committed to the restoration of approximately 200 police stations which are currently in a state of disrepair.
Chang, who along with police commissioner, Major General Antony Anderson, toured the Port Antonio and Buff Bay police stations, told journalists on Thursday that Government is committed to improving the condition of police stations by making them more user friendly and attractive.
The minister said the construction of the Port Antonio station will see the setting up of minimum standards for the facility, which will also see an increase in space from 7,000 to 17,000 square feet.
“It is going to be more user-friendly for both the complainant and law enforcement officers,” said Chang.
He continued: “Office space will be designed like offices that are serving our population. You don’t walk into a guardroom to make a complaint, but rather to walk into a reception area, where you can be interviewed and spoken to by a professional in privacy. Naturally, it’s a security area, and therefore, it has to be designed in a special way.”
“We have a budget commitment of $3 billion to spread across 122 stations and the work ranges from basic improvement, sanitation to reconstruction. Currently, we are committed to building three divisional headquarters, Port Antonio, Port Maria, and Savanna-laMar. I am adding to that, Spanish
Town. We want to ensure that divisional headquarters are institutions where law enforcement officers can see it as their operational headquarters, and Jamaicans that go there can attend an office that operates in a professional manner, “he said.
Meanwhile, Anderson said there is a need to have confident officers who operate out of good facilities.
“There a number of facilities that are less than desirable and some are dilapidated, but we can fix them all, as there is just under 200 buildings (stations) that are affected. We can maintain 200 buildings in Jamaica. We will keep delivering better and better service. This type of arrangement where we build better facilities is critical to building that bridge with the Jamaican public. It will be a welcoming environment, where those complaining can do so in privacy. The Jamaica Constabulary Force is here for every Jamaican.”