Westmoreland cops run out of space for seized motorcycles

WESTERN BUREAU:

As the Westmoreland police intensify their relentless drive against motorcyclists who are operating contrary to the law, they are now running out of space to store some 200 bikes.

“We just don’t have any more space to store motorcycles. Just this week alone, we have seized 14 motorcycles and prosecute several motorists for various road traffic breaches,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Adrian Hamilton, in explaining the situation in the parish, which is considered the nation’s motorcycle capital.

Hamilton, who was speaking at the recent monthly meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation (WMC), said some 132 tickets have been issued to motorcyclists, who continue to flout the traffic laws and endanger other users of the road. Of the number of offenders, 24 motorists were issued tickets for failing to wear protective helmets.

“It is over two years now that we have been facing this challenge in terms of a location for storage when these illegal motorcycles are seized,” explained Hamilton. “I can tell you that, unlike other vehicles, when you seize motorcycles, most of the times the owners don’t come for them.”

According to the senior police officer, the lack of storage space has become a hindrance to men and women serving in the parish, as in some instances they are being forced to share already cramped spaces with the seized motorcycles.

“The Savanna-la-Mar Police Station, if you go over there now, you might end up walking on a motorcycle … we have more than 130 just (parked) there. You can hardly squeeze through the passage because of these motorcycles,” stated Hamilton. “We are simply out of space, yet we cannot leave the illegal motorcycles on the roads, we have to seize them.”

Greater problem

As bad as the situation is in Savanna-la-Mar, Hamilton said the situation is no different at the Negril, Bethel Town, and Little London police stations.

“Collectively, we have over 800 motorcycles that we have seized over time, and they just sat there for years at the Transport Authority pound, so long that the pound started to incur a cost,” said Hamilton, who further noted that the police at times face an even greater problem as the motorcycles that are sold at public auction at times end up back on the streets.

“To recoup the cost, you have auction and sell them (the motorcycles) below the cost incurred for storage. If my motorcycle is taken, I can just sit there and wait until the auction comes up and buy it back at a very low price to go back in the transport sector,” said Hamilton, in explaining the modus operandi of some motorcyclists.