Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, the Hon. Dr Horace Chang yesterday signed the contract to officially mark the start of construction for the new St. Catherine North Police Divisional Headquarters at a ceremony at the Office of the Prime Minister.
The facility will be constructed on over 40,000 square ft. of land in Tawes Pen, Spanish Town at a cost of approximately $2 billion under the Ministry's Project ROC (Rebuild, Overhaul and Construct).
West Indies Home Contractors (WIHCON) Limited has been tasked with bringing the state-of-the-art project into the realm of reality. Construction is expected to last twenty-four (24) months.
Delivering remarks at the signing, Minister Chang stated that the development “again signifies the government’s commitment to improve police facilities across the country”.
He said: “This latest effort by the government reflects our commitment to ensure we provide the police with the tools to get the job done”.
In addition, Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness said the project is good news and that it marks a significant step in the journey towards a safer more secure Jamaica.
He noted that he is certain that most Jamaicans will appreciate that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) of today is not the same as the JCF of ten years ago.
The Prime Minister pointed out that no society can expect to grow and prosper without law and order, adding that the investment being made in the JCF is towards making sure that citizens are protected from criminals and that good public order returns to its place of prominence in the Jamaican society.
“This means that if we are going to improve the organisation we have to also improve the spaces in which our police officers work, and more importantly, the spaces where the public comes to interact with the police. We have made some significant investments,” the Prime Minister said.
“This includes improving the JCF’s access to technology, which was never done. We have taken decisions about the mobility of the JCF and certainly how these personnel look and how they present themselves to the public,” he said.
Prime Minister Holness mentioned that since 2016, some $4.78 billion has been spent on vehicles for the police, with projections over the next three years of $8.7 billion spent on mobility.
Furthermore, he noted that $2.7 billion has been spent on renovations to police stations over the same period, with another $2.7 billion earmarked for renovations over the next three years.
He also noted that new constructions had a financial layout of $5.52 billion in building new police facilities, with a further $19.7 billion in the next three years.
“These are major investments in the security apparatus of our country to ensure the safety of every citizen,” Prime Minister Holness said.
The Project ROC initiative has seen over 150 major renovation projects completed and five new stations constructed. Additionally, sixteen (16) renovation projects are currently underway while five new police stations are being constructed.
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