JCF gets new bikes from J Wray and Nephew
Published:Wednesday | February 17, 2016 | 12:00 AMKeisha Hill
The Jamaica Constab-ulary Force (JCF) has received 19 new motorcycles from J. Wray & Nephew Limited that will be deployed across the island to increase the mobility of the police and to enhance their efforts to improve the security of Jamaicans.
The vehicles, handed over during a presentation at the office of the commissioner of police in St Andrew, are valued at approximately J$2.5 million.
The motorcycles will be distributed across nine police divisions in the rural and urban areas. The divisions to benefit are: Kingston East, Kingston Central, motorised patrol,
St Andrew South, Portland, Clarendon, Westmoreland, St James, and St Ann.
The Ministry of National Security welcomed the initiative, citing its timeliness and expected impact.
Courtney Brown, director, crime prevention and community safety at the Ministry of National Security, said the significant contribution of motorcycles was a welcome addition in their continued efforts to reduce crime and violence in Jamaica, especially now with the pending election.
MAJOR OBSTACLE
"The reality is that crime and violence continue to be a major obstacle to the economic and social development of Jamaica. It is a problem that has unfortunately become deeply entrenched in the Jamaican society over the past decades and will require a robust, united and sustained effort on the part of all sectors of the Jamaican society in order to reduce it to more tolerable levels," Brown said.
"It is a major battle, but we believe that it can be won. We have started to see signs of progress in our efforts to attack the problem. The truth is that we have in the past few years seen all major crimes, including murders, trending down, with 2014 being a year in which we had the most positive improvements for many years," he added.
Commissioner of Police Dr Carl Williams said the contribution would improve the mobility of the police and greatly enhance their capacity to serve and protect the citizens of Jamaica. It added, he said, to the significant investments in the mobility of the security forces that were made in 2015 by the ministry and local and international partners.
The handover was part of a series of activities being carried out by J. Wray & Nephew Limited as part of its 190th anniversary celebrations.