St James gets 10 pre-owned police cars

Ten of the 200 pre-owned vehicles, which the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is to receive, have been deployed to St James.

Minister of National Security Robert Montague inspected the units on Tuesday at the Elletson Road Police Station in Kingston.

He pointed out that the procurement of the cars was expedited so that the police could deal swiftly with calls pertaining to criminal activities and other issues in the parish.

He noted that the vehicles had been retrofitted with blue siren lights and general packet radio service so that personnel could track the locations of the units.

Montague said that in addition to the 10 pre-owned cars, 38 vehicles from St James had also been repaired.

"The citizens can rest assured that the addition of these cars will increase the police presence in the streets in many ways. When you see a police car, you will see advertisements that tell you how citizens can aid in crime-fighting initiatives. You will see the Stay Alert App, Crime Stop number, messages about scamming and praedial larceny, among other security initiatives," he explained.

The minister said that the 10 cars have been branded with information to encourage citizens to speak up about illegal activities.

Montague appealed to the police to take care of the vehicles and encouraged citizens to refrain from making prank calls, which could put a strain on the police resources.

He said procurement of the remaining vehicles had been completed and they would be deployed to all police divisions.