Some $1.5 billion will be spent on the construction and upgrading of police facilities in financial year 2022/23.
Minister of National Security and Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, made the disclosure during his contribution to the 2022/23 Sectoral debate in the House of Representatives on June 1.
Of the total expenditure, the ministry is targeting the renovation of 15 police facilities at a cost of $500 million, while the National Housing Trust (NHT) will commence construction of five police stations at a cost of approximately $1 billion.
The new facilities are the Frome and the Little London police stations in Westmoreland, Lacovia Police Station in St. Elizabeth, Anchovy Police Station in St. James, and Stony Hill Police Station in St. Andrew.
Chang told the House that the Government is in the process of completing the procurement process for the construction of divisional headquarters for Westmoreland.
“We are also putting up a St. Catherine divisional headquarters. What we are doing in Westmoreland and St. Catherine reflects the thinking of this Government about the police. These are modern, professional centres, efficient, functional, user-friendly and customer-friendly,” he said.
Procurement has concluded to engage professional services for the Montego Hills police facility, and the Green Acres Police Station is almost complete.
Giving an update on the construction of the country’s first ever forensic pathology autopsy suite, Dr. Chang told the House that the works are 15 per cent complete, and the project is scheduled for completion in this financial year.
The state-of-the-art forensic facility, to be located at 149 Orange Street, downtown Kingston, is being built at a cost of $547 million. Ground was broken for the project in November 2022.
Chang noted that the Government has made significant investment in improving the physical infrastructure of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) over the past five fiscal years, converting facilities into modern, efficient, citizen-friendly, professional workspaces.
He noted that the works were undertaken in partnership with the NHT, the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and through the Consolidated Fund.
“We have done over 121 out of the 186 facilities,” he said, noting that this includes seven fit-for-purpose police stations, which were either newly constructed or rehabilitated by the JSIF, and four that were newly constructed by the NHT.
– Jamaica Information Service (JIS)
