Lease approved for police post in Hopewell

WESTERN BUREAU:

PLANS TO establish a police post in the growing Eastern Hanover town of Hopewell took a positive turn at the January monthly meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC), when the conditions in the lease agreement were formally agreed on and approved. A building and its surrounding land space, owned by the HMC, will be leased to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

The matter of the lease to establish the police post in Hopewell has been up for discussion since 2017, when police superintendent in charge of Hanover, Sharon Beeput, sought solutions to a rising crime situation in that town, and was of the view that an improved police presence in the area would alleviate the problem somewhat.

At one point, Hopewell was declared a hotspot by the police, with several police operations taking place in that area. This while the nearest police station to the area, the Sandy Bay Police Station, is located five kilometres away.

Since the idea was presented in 2017, several lengthy discussions have taken place between the police and the HMC, with a subsequent visit by Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson, who, The Gleaner was informed, gave verbal approval of the location and plans.

While the Ministry of Local Government has given its approval for the agreement to go forward, the final hurdle for months now had been on the terms of the lease agreement, which, following discussions, had to be changed at one point, before being approved and documented by the HMC at its monthly general meeting.

“The next move is that I am going to send the draft agreement to the police for them to review and, if they are satisfied with it, they are to sign it. And, if that takes place, it becomes effective immediately and it would be up to the JCF after that,” chief executive officer of the HMC, David Gardner, told The Gleaner during an interview.

The Gleaner understands that the agreement identifies the property as located at Lot 76, Lynfred Manor, in Hopewell, Hanover, which will be leased to the JCF for the peppercorn rate of $1,000 per month for 10 years, in the first instance.

The Gleaner was informed that, during the deliberations at the HMC regarding the lease arrangements, the potential earning power of the property for the HMC was looked at in great detail, alongside the security needs of the parish in general, and the town of Hopewell in particular, with the HMC personnel deciding that the security needs were of greater concern and were to be given priority.

Beeput expressed joy at the status of the project, noting that she is looking forward to the police taking up the lease as early as possible.

“I would love for us to occupy that space this year,” she stated. “It would make a lot of difference for our policing presence and strategies in that area.”