How much longer for Trelawny's Divisional Headquarters?

ASKS THE QUESTIONS
Mark Cummings
Thursday, September 18, 2008



A section of the Falmouth Police Station.

Security is a high priority in many countries and quite rightly so.
In Jamaica, our security forces have long complained about the lack of resources to fight crime and violence, and the generally poor conditions under which they carry out their job.

And while efforts have been made by successive political administrations over the years to better equip our security forces, much more still needs to be done.

In many instances, the lawmen have been working under inhumane conditions.

It hard to fathom how they get the job done under such less-than-desirable conditions.

The members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) who are assigned to the Trelawny Divisional Headquarters, at Rodney Street, in Falmouth represent a case in point.


The new Falmouth police station under construction.

For almost a decade, several civic groups as well as the parish's health department have complained about the poor state of the facility.

The existing unsightly buildings are falling apart and have become a health hazard.

The matter of the dilapidated building was also raised by Police Commissioner Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin in May, when he addressed the 65th annual conference of the Police Federation, at the Starfish Resort in Trelawny.

Describing the facility as "little more than a fowl roost", the commissioner told the conference that some $250-million has been allocated in this year's budget to recommence work on the building for the new station, which began more than two years ago.

In the meantime, he said, the police high command was working feverishly to have police personnel occupying the existing station relocated.

But four months later the police are yet to be relocated, and neither has work recommenced on the building to house the new station.

This is despite an assurance in June from the permanent secretary in the ministry of National Security, Gilbert Scott, who said then that work would have started within another two to three weeks.

At that time, Scott said the work stoppage was due mainly to contractual disagreements between his ministry and the contractors, Astrom Building Systems.

He noted, however, that the disagreements have been resolved and the contractors are mobilising.

But in spite of the existing deplorable state of the station, the lawmen assigned there continue to give of their best.

In fact, indications are that there is a general trending down of reported criminal activities in the parish.

It is about time that the plight of the police, as well as the general public who use the facility, be addressed.
They deserve much better.