$39.3 Billion Infrastructure and Equipment Upgrade For JCF

Government Investing in National Security Apparatus

The Government has been making significant investments in Jamaica’s national security architecture.

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, said the Administration will be spending approximately $39.3 billion on capital projects in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) over the next three years.

This investment will include renovating and constructing new fit-for-purpose buildings and enhancing the Force’s mobility and technological capabilities.

Dr. Holness said prudent management of the country has enabled the Administration to provide critical infrastructure and equipment to improve and transform the JCF over the last several years.

He noted, for example, that $4.87 billion has been spent on vehicle acquisitions since 2016, with an additional $8.7 billion programmed over the next three years.

Additionally, $2.7 billion has been spent to renovate stations, with another $2.7 billion earmarked to undertake further works.

“On new construction projects, we spent $5.52 billion on building new stations… and we expect to spend [an additional] $19.7 billion in the next three years,” Dr. Holness pointed out.

The expenditure, he said, includes “the massive station in Westmoreland; the St. Catherine Divisional Headquarters; Specialised Operations; the Command, Communications, Computation, Control, Coordination (C5) Centre, all kinds of exciting new things…  If you think that the police force is transformed now, wait until you see it in the next three years.”

Dr. Holness informed that $3.9 billion has been spent since 2016 to buildout the JCF’s technology framework, adding that the Administration will expend a further $10.9 billion over the next three years.

“So, in all, from 2016, we have spent $14.4 billion on your capital side of your budget. This is not what we spent on national security... just what we have spent on the JCF,” he said.

The Government has been making significant strides in improving the physical infrastructure of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), under the National Security Ministry’s Project Rebuild, Overhaul and Construct (ROC) initiative.

The programme aims to provide modern, citizen-friendly facilities for police officers and the citizens they serve.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, said this initiative is not only providing a conducive zone of work for effective law enforcement, but also serves as a significant morale booster for the officers, knowing that they can go to work in functionally appropriate spaces.

Under Project ROC, the Government will be undertaking three major projects, including construction of the $2.2-billion St. Catherine North Divisional Headquarters.

The Government and West Indies Home Contractors (WIHCON) Limited recently signed the contract for this initiative. The modern fit-for-purpose three-storey building will span approximately 43,000 square feet.

Ground was also broken in Llandilo, Savanna-la-Mar, to build the new $2.17 billion Westmoreland Divisional Police Headquarters.

The three-storey building, that will span 64,970.21 square feet, will be designed to accommodate specialised units and coordinate operations across the 11 police stations in Westmoreland.

The new headquarters will further integrate state-of-the-art security technologies, in alignment with the e-Policing Initiatives, and facilitate improved response times and interactions with citizens as well as enhanced police presence in the Division to promote public order.

A specialised Operations West facility in Montego Bay, St. James, is also to be constructed at a cost of $10 billion.

In addition, 14 new and fully rehabilitated police stations, with the requisite design features, have been completed under Project ROC.

These include the Shady Grove, Port Antonio, Buff Bay, Olympic Gardens, Mount Salem, Spring Hill, Franklyn Town, Adelphi, Lionel Town, Four Paths, Denham Town, Moneague, Bog Walk, and Hopewell police stations.

The Government recently provided the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) with 40 additional vehicles, at a cost of over $313 million.

These include 20 Mitsubishi L200 pickups; seven Toyota Hilux pickups; and 10 Kia Sorento Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs).

Minister Chang, who handed over the keys to Commissioner of Police, Dr. Kevin Blake, said the units will be used to help in further reducing crime across the island.

He said the additional vehicles will enable the officers to respond more swiftly and effectively to incidents and improve public safety and security.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) has named and commissioned Jamaica’s latest maritime asset – His Majesty’s Jamaican Ship (HMJS) ‘Marcus Garvey’.

The vessel, a Damen 5009 offshore patrol vessel, is the sixth and final in the current contract with Damen Shipyards and represents another layer in Jamaica’s maritime security capacity.

Prime Minister Holness said the ship not only represents a significant enhancement of the country’s maritime capabilities, but also a steadfast commitment to Jamaica’s security and prosperity.

“The impact of this vessel extends beyond national security. It will enhance our search and rescue operations, ensuring the safety of our seafarers and tourists. It will also support our blue economy by combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, thereby protecting the livelihood of our fishermen and preserving our maritime ecosystem,” Dr. Holness said.