Public enraged by closure of Criminal Records Office
With many opportunities and business transactions dependent on police records, several persons are now enraged that the Criminal Records Office on Duke Street, Kingston, is out of service.
Consequently, no new police records are being processed, and there’s no date as to when this will resume. According to the Police High Command, operations have been temporarily suspended to allow for relocation.
Dwight Bartley, 33, told THE STAR that this is a massive inconvenience. “Me come fi pick up a police record. I was suppose
job to pick it up from the 18th a di month (September) but when I came here the 18th it wasn’t ready. Today is the 27th and it still not ready. A way a Red Hills me a come from! Me all tek day off from work,” he explained disappointedly. “It’s affecting me a lot because me suppose to bring in this for work and me caan go back a me job unless me have me police record. There’s nothing I can do. Waste a bus fare and everything. Mi supposed to do a trip wid it overseas regarding some farm work…it suppose to go in the 14th a next month and they are saying they can’t accept no payment for no more than 21 days. I don’t know what else to do. Very bad move by the Government, one a di worse move eva.”
Kemar Lawson is in a similar dilemma. Unaware of the recent shutdown, Lawson visited the Criminal Records Office and was redirected to Central Police Station on East Queen Street. “Me jus likkle while hear seh it lock dung, because me pay money fi deal wid it and me come fi sort out it down there suh (Duke Street), but when me go me find out…a today me pay so a today me find out. Right now me nuh know wah fi do and di ting weh me did wah deal wid is a right now ting, yuh see weh me a say?”
WORK PERMIT
Raynor Johnson said: “A two week now me a try get it. Dis bad fi di country. Me nuh know weh di Government a do to di country. God know! Wi have fourteen parish, and a one place yuh deal wid police record. Dat nuh good yah man cause right now me wah put in a work permit and right now me caan dweet and di people dem nuh stop call me. Dat nuh good fi nobody right now, cause right now man hungry fi it bredda.”
Another customer, Tyrone Williams, told THE STAR that his journey to Kingston was pointless. “Mandeville me a come from. $5,000 gas me buy and mi jus a fi go jus drive go back a Mandeville, and me nuh get weh me come fi deal wid. Dem a tell me say me a fi wait till dem get a new location. But dat a when? Come like a joke ting.”