Ground broken for $175m police station in Lacovia
Published:Friday | June 24, 2022 | 12:08 AMHopeton Bucknor/Gleaner Writer
Noting that unlike in other sections of the island, interpersonal conflicts as opposed to gang violence was driving up crime figures in St Elizabeth, Police Commissioner Antony Anderson yesterday urged residents to make use of a domestic violence centre in the parish.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for a new state-of-the-art police station in Lacovia, the police chief urged citizens to let the police help in mediating conflicts.
“The interpersonal violence is the inability to deal with conflicts, and we will see this play out in violence, so we have put in a domestic violence centre, which is one of 10 around the country, which is right here in Santa Cruz,” he said.
“People can avail themselves of it, but most importantly, if you start to see the conflict within the community, even within the household, let the police know, “ Anderson appealed, pointing to an incident in which a mother and her four children were murdered in Clarendon this week. Police theorise it was a result of a domestic dispute.
Addressing the ceremony, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang noted that the new station would be a major boost to policing in the parish, which has recorded 19 murders up to June 20 – a 46.2 per cent increase over the 13 seen over the corresponding period in 2021.
Shootings in the parish have also increased by 160 per cent year-on-year over the period, with 13 incidents since 2022, compared to five last year. Rape has also increased by 57.1 per cent, robberies by 183.3 per cent and break-ins by 2.1 per cent.
“The main purpose of this station is so that they (police officers) can function effectively, so when they go to work they feel that they are at a place where they are appreciated and can function freely,” Chang said.
“As we have seen in some cases where they convert a house in a police station, this is a police station, not just a building.”
The security minister noted that the Government has earmarked funds to facilitate the construction of new police stations such as the one now being done in Lacovia, equipped with appropriate facilities such as interview rooms with privacy, domestic violence centres, where persons faced with serious family issues can go and speak to someone.
The two-storey police station, which is being funded through the National Housing Trust (NHT) at a cost of $175 million, is expected to be completed over a period of 30 months and will also house living quarters for officers, detention cells, a laundry area and a canteen.
St Elizabeth North Western Member of Parliament (MP) J.C. Hutchinson; St Elizabeth North Eastern MP Delroy Slowely; Santa Cruz Division Councillor Christopher Williams; and NHT Assistant General Manager for Special Projects, Research and Development Brian Saunders were also at the ground-breaking.